Pacific Swallow

Hirundo javanica Sparrman, 1789

13 cmLength18 gWeight

This small swallow has a blue-black back, red face and throat, and a shorter tail than Barn Swallow.

Busiest months: October · Most records: China, Singapore, Malaysia

Looks like Barn Swallow

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Face and throat red
Back and crown blue-black
Wings and tail rufous-tinged
Tail rather short and shallowly forked

Similar species

Barn Swallow

Pacific Swallow has a shorter, less deeply forked tail than Barn Swallow.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October · Most records: China, Singapore, Malaysia

Pacific Swallow has been recorded at 579 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 20 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)3,677 records
Singapore Botanic GardensSingapore1,905 records
Taipei – National Taiwan University Main CampusTaiwan (China)1,783 records

More places

Kenting NP – Sheding Lingxiao Pavilion (Raptors Observation Spot)Taiwan (China)1,715 records
Sepilok – Rainforest Discovery CenterMalaysia1,671 records
Aogu Wetland IBATaiwan (China)1,622 records
Marina EastSingapore1,569 records
Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest LodgeMalaysia1,566 records
Sungei Buloh Wetland ReserveSingapore1,419 records
Nantou – Puli Tzuchi FoundationTaiwan (China)1,416 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Singapore Malaysia Philippines Indonesia Thailand Papua New Guinea Japan

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Pacific swallow (Hirundo javanica) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It breeds in tropical southern Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Pacific Swallow?

The Pacific Swallow is about 13 cm long and weighs around 18 g.

Where does the Pacific Swallow live?

Its breeding range: Oriental, Australasia, Pacific Ocean: Southeast Asia to New Guinea and western, central Micronesia. It is most often recorded in China, Singapore and Malaysia.