About Hirundo smithii Leach & K.D.Koenig, 1818
The wire-tailed swallow, scientifically named Hirundo smithii Leach & K.D.Koenig, 1818, is a small swallow species with a total length of 18 cm (7.1 in). This species gets its name from its very long, filamentous outermost tail feathers that trail behind the bird like two wires. Its upperparts are bright blue, its underparts are bright white, and adults have a chestnut cap. Male and female wire-tailed swallows look similar, though females have shorter tail wires. Immature birds do not have these characteristic tail wires, and they have dull brown caps instead of chestnut ones. Juveniles have brown coloring on their crown, back, and tail. There are two recognized subspecies: the Asian subspecies H. s. filifera, which is larger and has a longer tail than the abundant African nominate subspecies H. s. smithii.
