Rufous-chested Swallow Cecropis semirufa Scientific name definitions

24 cm; 25–40 g. Has glossy blue-black crown and upperparts, rufous neck side , rump and underparts ; wings and tail blue-black, elongated outer tail feathers forming long streamers, white patches on inner webs of rectrices (except central two pairs), largest on outer feathers; underwing-coverts pale rufous. Distinguished from C. senegalensis by smaller size, longer tail-streamers, no white on throat, dark of crown extending below eye, white in tail; from C. daurica by white spots in tail, lack of rufous collar. Female has shorter tail than male. Juvenile is duller, with paler underparts , buff tips of wing-coverts and secondaries, shorter tail. Race <em>gordoni</em> is smaller and less rich rufous than nominate.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

In rains in W Africa, e.g. Apr–Aug in Liberia, Apr–Sept in Nigeria, Mar–Jul in Cameroon; Apr–Jul and Oct–Dec in DRCongo, Jul–Aug in Sudan, May–Jun in Uganda, Apr–Jun in Kenya, Oct–Jan/Feb in Zambia and Malawi, Sept and Feb in Botswana; Aug–Apr in Zimbabwe (peak Oct–Jan) and South Africa (peak Nov–Jan); double-brooded. Monogamous, but bigamous male recorded. Solitary. Nest built by both sexes, in two cases taking 13 and 16 days, retort-shaped with long tunnel entrance, made of mud , lined with grass, wool and feathers; usually within 1 m of ground and in wide variety of natural and artificial sites, including overhanging bank, rock face, culvert, bridge, rafter in house, shed roof, chapel, window, drainpipe, electricity tower, hollow tree, fallen log, termite (Isoptera) mound, aardvark (Orycteropus afer) hole, warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) hole; nests reused in successive years. Clutch 1–6 eggs, normally 3; incubation by female, sitting for as little as 14% of daylight hours, period 16 days; fledging period 23–25 days; young continue to sleep in nest for up to 15 days. In one study, 80% of 175 eggs hatched, 74% of 140 chicks fledged; 82% of first clutches and 44% of second clutches successful; losses due to desertion, eggs falling from nest, chick starvation; nests sometimes usurped by White-rumped Swift (Apus caffer). Oldest recorded bird 5 years 9 months.