About the Wire-tailed Swallow
The wire-tailed swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It has two subspecies: H. s. smithii, which occurs throughout Africa, and H. s. filifera, which is found in southern and southeastern Asia. It is mainly resident, but populations in Pakistan and northern India migrate further south in winter. The genus name Hirundo is the Latin word for swallow. The species name smithii commemorates Christen Smith, a Norwegian botanist and geologist.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Family | Swallows (Hirundinidae) |
| Species | Hirundo smithii |
| Species Codes | witswa1, WTSW |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Wire-tailed Swallow belong to?
The Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) belongs to the Swallows family (Hirundinidae), in the order Passeriformes.
How can I identify the Wire-tailed Swallow?
The wire-tailed swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It has two subspecies: H. s. smithii, which occurs throughout Africa, and H. s. filifera, which is found in southern and southeastern Asia. It is mainly resident, but populations in Pakistan and northern India migrate further s...
Where can I report a Wire-tailed Swallow sighting?
You can log sightings of Wire-tailed Swallow on eBird (ebird.org) using species code witswa1, or on iNaturalist.
Related Species in Swallows 92 species
More Birds in Order Passeriformes
Quick Stats
Spotted a Wire-tailed Swallow?
Log your sighting on eBird or upload a photo to our AI Bird Identifier!