About Hirundo albigularis Strickland, 1849
The white-throated swallow (Hirundo albigularis Strickland, 1849) measures 14–17 cm in length. It has glossy dark blue upperparts and a bright chestnut crown. A dark blue-black breast band separates its white throat from its greyish white underparts and underwing coverts. The upper wings, underwing flight feathers, and forked tail are blackish-blue, while the undertail has white patches near the feather tips. The combination of a white throat and blackish breast band distinguishes this species from other similar Hirundo swallows. Males have slightly longer outer tail feathers than females. Juvenile birds are duller in plumage than adults, with shorter outer tail feathers and a browner crown. The species' call is a mixture of warbles and twitters. This swallow breeds in southern Africa, ranging from Angola and Zambia south to the Cape in South Africa. It is mostly migratory, and winters in Angola, Zambia, and southern Zaire. It inhabits open country and grassland, and prefers highlands located near water. It is often found around man-made structures.
