White-tailed swallow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-tailed swallow |
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| At Mega, Ethiopia | |
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| Genus: |
Hirundo
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| Species: |
megaensis
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The white-tailed swallow (Hirundo megaensis) is a small swallow bird. It belongs to the Hirundinidae family. This special bird lives only in Oromia, Ethiopia. People sometimes call it "Benson's swallow." This is because Constantine Walter Benson, an ornithologist (a bird scientist), was the first to name it.
This little bird is considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This means its numbers are going down. There are now fewer than 10,000 adult white-tailed swallows left in the world. It has a very small area where it lives. This is because it needs a cooler "bubble" of air to breed successfully. The white-tailed swallow is one of the birds most at risk from climate change. Scientists think it could lose a lot of its living space in the future.
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About the White-tailed Swallow
The white-tailed swallow is a small bird, about 13 centimeters (5 inches) long. It gets its name from its white belly, which goes from its throat all the way to its tail. The top part of the bird, including its head, wings, and back, is mostly blue.
Its tail is slightly split, like a fork. It has short, white feathers and longer, darker feathers on the edges. These longer feathers are called rectrices. They help the bird balance and steer when it flies.
Male and Female Differences
Male and female white-tailed swallows look a bit different. This is called being sexually dimorphic.
- Male swallows have brighter blue and white feathers.
- Female swallows often have duller colors. Their feathers might look more blue-grey, while males have blue-black feathers.
- Both adult males and females have shiny feathers, but the males' feathers are brighter.
- Female white-tailed swallows are also a little smaller than males. They have shorter tails too.
Young White-tailed Swallows
Young white-tailed swallows look different from the adults. They have more brown feathers and their coats are not as shiny. They are also smaller than adult swallows. Young birds look a lot like adult females in their size, tail length, and colors.
Where White-tailed Swallows Live
The white-tailed swallow's natural habitat is in high-altitude shrubland areas. These are places with many bushes and shrubs. This bird lives only in southern Ethiopia. It is mostly found in the Yabelo–Mega region of Oromia.
You can find them at heights between 4,000 and 4,500 feet above sea level. They do not usually live in places lower than 4,000 feet. These swallows are often seen in savanna and grassland areas that are high up. They also often live close to human villages.
How Many White-tailed Swallows Are Left?
The white-tailed swallow is endemic to Ethiopia. This means it does not live anywhere else in the world. It is listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN.
- There are about 3,500 to 15,000 white-tailed swallows left in the world.
- The number of adult birds is even lower, between 2,500 and 9,999.
- The number of white-tailed swallows has been going down since 1988. It has been called vulnerable since 1994. This population is still decreasing because of natural reasons and human actions.
Threats to White-tailed Swallows
The white-tailed swallow faces several dangers that threaten its survival.
Habitat Loss
A big threat to these birds is habitat loss. This means their living spaces are disappearing.
Natural Habitat Loss
One natural cause of habitat loss is called woody plant encroachment. This happens when "thorny shrubs" grow too much and take over other plants. This can be caused by:
- Fire suppression: If natural fires are stopped, these shrubs can grow out of control. This makes it hard for swallows to live or breed.
- Overgrazing: This happens when too many farm animals eat plants in one area. This can also lead to too many shrubs growing.
Human-Caused Habitat Loss
Humans also cause habitat loss for the white-tailed swallow:
- Growing human population: As more people live in southern Ethiopia, they build more traditional huts. This takes away the swallows' natural habitat.
- Increased farming: More farmland means forests and fields are turned into farms. This destroys the swallows' homes.
Climate Change
The white-tailed swallow needs very specific temperatures to breed. Because of this, it is one of the birds most threatened by climate change. Scientists believe it could lose a lot of its living area.
- In the best-case climate scenarios, it could lose up to 68% of its range.
- In the worst-case scenarios, it could lose as much as 84% of its range.
These birds are like "indicator species" for climate change. This means they can show us how climate change affects other animals. They can also be "flagship species" to highlight the effects of climate change on birds in Africa.
Protecting White-tailed Swallows
There are efforts to help protect the white-tailed swallow.
The Yabelo Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Ethiopia is a protected area. This means it is safe from harm to its ecosystem. However, there has been fire suppression in this area, which can lead to more bush growth.
Also, the traditional huts in the Yabelo-Mega region are very important for these birds. White-tailed swallows often build their nests in and on these huts. So, keeping these huts helps save the species by giving them good places to nest. The swallows do not seem to mind if people live in the huts where they build their nests.
White-tailed Swallow Behavior and Life Cycle
Nesting Habits
White-tailed swallows usually build their nests in traditional Borana huts and sometimes in termite mounds.
- Village huts offer protection from bad weather.
- The birds often build nests on the roof beams and door frames of huts. These spots give good support for the nest.
- Nests have also been seen in termite mounds, but this is less common.
The nests look like small bowls or cups. They are usually made from mud, grass, and animal hair. These nests are about 60 to 160 millimeters (2.4 to 6.3 inches) deep.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The white-tailed swallow has two breeding seasons each year.
- The first season is from April to June.
- The second season is from October to November.
- Both breeding times happen during the rainy seasons in southern Ethiopia.
A female white-tailed swallow usually lays 3 to 4 white eggs in each breeding season. The eggs are said to hatch after about 2 to 3 weeks.
