Swallows and Martins
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Hirundinidae
The Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species worldwide and 16 species which occur in Sierra Leone.
- Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
- Banded Martin Riparia cincta
- Gray-rumped Swallow Pseudhirundo griseopyga
- Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
- Red-chested Swallow Hirundo lucida
- Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
- White-throated Blue Swallow Hirundo nigrita
- Pied-winged Swallow Hirundo leucosoma
- Lesser Striped-Swallow Cecropis abyssinica
- Rufous-chested Swallow Cecropis semirufa
- Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
- Preuss's Swallow Petrochelidon preussi
- Common House-Martin Delichon urbica
- Square-tailed Sawwing Psalidoprocne nitens
- Fanti Sawwing Psalidoprocne obscura
Read more about this topic: List Of Birds Of Sierra Leone
Famous quotes containing the word swallows:
“Work—work—work,
In the dull December light,
And work—work—work,
When the weather is warm and bright—
While underneath the eaves
The brooding swallows cling
As if to show me their sunny backs
And twit me with the spring.”
—Thomas Hood (1799–1845)