A small, stocky, martin-like swallow that has dark upperparts mottled around the hindneck and back, rusty throat with an indistinct partial dark collar, and a paler buffy belly. In flight, rusty rump and white blotches in the tail are distinctive. Pairs and small flocks are residents and partial migrants foraging over open grassland and rivers, often nesting on cliffs, buildings, or bridges. Calls include a high-pitched twittering, especially at colonies. During May to August overlaps with intra-African migrant South African Swallow, which is very similar to Red-throated Swallow, but is larger and bulkier, lacks white in the tail, and has dark breast mottling forming a smudgy collar.