About Hirundo domicola Jerdon, 1841
This species, the hill swallow (Hirundo domicola Jerdon, 1841), is a small swallow measuring 13 cm (5.1 in) in length. It has a blue back, with browner wings and tail, a red face and throat, and dusky underparts. Its tail is shorter and less forked than the tails of the barn swallow and the closely related welcome swallow, which distinguishes it from these species. During reproduction, the hill swallow constructs a neat cup-shaped nest out of mud pellets collected in its beak. Nests are placed under cliff ledges or on man-made structures including buildings, bridges, and tunnels. The nest is lined with softer material, and the clutch can hold up to four eggs. Detailed studies of this species' breeding ecology have been carried out in Silent Valley National Park and the Muthikkulam reserve forests of Kerala.
