Article of the day for February 25, 2016
The Article of the day for February 25, 2016 is African river martin.
The African river martin (Pseudochelidon eurystomina) is a perching bird, one of two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family, Hirundinidae. First described by German zoologist Gustav Hartlaub in 1861, the African river martin was not at first recognised as a swallow, but was later placed in a separate subfamily shared with the Asian white-eyed river martin. A large swallow, it is mainly black with a blue-green gloss to the head and a greener tint to the back and wings, and has red eyes, a broad orange-red bill and a square black tail. Young birds are similar in appearance, but with browner plumage. This species has a variety of unmusical calls, and makes flight and ground displays. The main breeding areas are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo along the Congo River and its tributary, the Ubangi, in habitats characterised by a mixture of tropical forest types including swampy or seasonally flooded woodland. The African river martin is migratory, wintering in coastal savanna in southern Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. It nests in burrows in sand banks, and in winter digs tunnels for night-time shelter.
The African river martin (Pseudochelidon eurystomina) is a perching bird, one of two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family, Hirundinidae. First described by German zoologist Gustav Hartlaub in 1861, the African river martin was not at first recognised as a swallow, but was later placed in a separate subfamily shared with the Asian white-eyed river martin. A large swallow, it is mainly black with a blue-green gloss to the head and a greener tint to the back and wings, and has red eyes, a broad orange-red bill and a square black tail. Young birds are similar in appearance, but with browner plumage. This species has a variety of unmusical calls, and makes flight and ground displays. The main breeding areas are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo along the Congo River and its tributary, the Ubangi, in habitats characterised by a mixture of tropical forest types including swampy or seasonally flooded woodland. The African river martin is migratory, wintering in coastal savanna in southern Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. It nests in burrows in sand banks, and in winter digs tunnels for night-time shelter.
