Brown-bellied Swallow

About the Brown-bellied Swallow

The brown-bellied swallow (Orochelidon murina) is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The brown-bellied swallow was originally described as Petrochilidon murina. Since then it had been placed in both Notiochelidon and Atticora. Following a study published in 2005 it was moved to the resurrected genus Orochelidon that had been erected in 1903.

The brown-bellied swallow shares genus Oroichelidon with the pale-footed swallow (O. flavipes) and Andean swallow (O. andecola). It has three subspecies, the nominate O. m. murina (Cassin, 1853), O. m. meridensis (Zimmer, JT & Phelps, WH, 1947), and O. m. cyanodorsalis (Carriker, 1935).

The brown-bellied swallow is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long and weighs about 12.5 g (0.44 oz). The sexes have similar plumage though females are duller overall than males. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a mostly blackish head and neck with a blue-green gloss and a sooty gray-brown throat. Their upperparts are blackish with a blue-green gloss. Their tail is moderately forked; it and their wings are dark brown... Wikipedia →