Wire-tailed Swallow
Hirundo smithii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
- GenusHirundo (Typical Swallows)
- SpeciesHirundo smithii (Wire-tailed Swallow)
The wire-tailed swallow (Hirundo smithii) 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. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Hemis National Park
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Eurasian Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne rupestris
House Martin
Delichon urbicum
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Pale Sand Martin
Riparia diluta
Eastern Red-rumped Swallow
Cecropis daurica
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
Cinereous Tit
Parus cinereus
Citrine Wagtail
Motacilla citreola
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecica
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Wire-tailed Swallow at Hemis National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there