Confused about swallows

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Hi

I thought swallow No. 1 and 2 were Hirundo rustica, if so what is No. 3 apart from a disasterous photo?

Jacqueline

[Colin Key]

Jacqueline,

All three are Hirundo rustica but the first two are the Egyptian race savignii (deep rufous rather than white underparts). Where was the photo of the third bird taken?

Colin

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Hi Colin

The first two pix were taken in Cairo and the third in Ain Suhkna on the Gulf on Suez just south on the the port of Suez.

Jacqueline

[Colin Key]

The third bird is therefore of the nominate Western European race which has simply "gone on a jaunt", not a particularly rare event,

Colin

[Jacqueline Burrell]

On that particular September day, I saw at least 20 of the nominate Western European race as well as dozens of house martins on the Ain Suhkana golf course which is very close to the sea and is also a favourite haunt of various raptors. But I have also seen them as far south as Hurghada but never on the Sinai Peninsula.

Do you think it could have something to do with the changing environment in Egypt? Where there was once desert there are now a series of small resorts on the northern Red Sea coast with golf courses which quickly develop their own eco-system because of the huge variety of flowering trees, shrubs and palms that have been planted. We even have ‘urban’ desert foxes.

Jacqueline

[Colin Key]

Environmental and climate changes seem to be playing havoc with swallows. We have always had Barn Swallows (H. rustica) overwintering in the Algarve; some have said that they are here all year round (i.e. non-migratory) but there is in fact a displacement with summer breeders moving to southern Africa and being replaced by birds from northern Europe. For the past three years I have found birds nesting in December and with young in January.

Red-rumped Swallows (H. daurica) are now also wintering here in small numbers, something they have not done in previous years. I have had a pair nesting in a passageway between some outbuildings and this last summer produced no less than four broods (17 offspring, we think), which is most unusual.

Colin

[geoffwilliams]

Very interesting to hear of Swallows breeding so early or is it late?
It must be great for them not to have fly across the Sahara to winter.
I expect they will develop shorter wings or something in a few generations time.
Geoff