Pied-winged Swallow
Hirundo leucosoma
The Pied-winged Swallow (Hirundo leucosoma) is a rare swallow found in 12 countries, weighing about 18 g. The pied-winged swallow is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae.
About the Pied-winged Swallow
The pied-winged swallow is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. It has distinctive steel-blue upperparts with white wing patches. It is native to parts of West Africa.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The pied-winged swallow is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long with glossy steel-blue wings and head. Most of the underside of the bird is white, with additional white patches found on special wing feathers. The tail is also steel-blue, but has green reflections. Females and juveniles typically have shorter tails. Juveniles are also typified by a browner head and generally duller colour overall. The outer tail feathers have white inner edges and an oval white spot. The eyes are brown, while beak and feet are both black. It is the only West African swallow with a wing patch. Wings average 9.9 cm (3.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Côte d’Ivoire.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Pied-winged Swallow?
- The pied-winged swallow is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long with glossy steel-blue wings and head. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Pied-winged Swallow?
- The Pied-winged Swallow is a small sized bird weighing about 18 g.
- Where can you see a Pied-winged Swallow?
- The Pied-winged Swallow occurs in 12 countries, including the Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Benin.
- What birds look similar to a Pied-winged Swallow?
- The Pied-winged Swallow is most easily confused with the Blue Swallow, the White-tailed Swallow and the White-bibbed Swallow.
- Is the Pied-winged Swallow endangered?
- The Pied-winged Swallow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Pied-winged Swallow for real
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