Fanti saw-wing

The Fanti saw-wing (Psalidoprocne obscura), also known as the Fanti rough-winged swallow, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.

Fanti saw-wing
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Psalidoprocne
Species:
P. obscura
Binomial name
Psalidoprocne obscura
(Hartlaub, 1855)

Description

This is a small swallow at 17 cm. Its plumage is glossy green. The tail is long and deeply forked. Sexes are similar, but the female has a shorter tail. Juveniles are brown with little gloss, and have short tails.

Distribution and habitat

The Fanti saw-wing breeds in the lowlands of southern west Africa from Senegal to Cameroon. It is mainly resident, apart from seasonal movements. This bird is found in open country, including light woodland, near water.

Fanti saw-wings are graceful flyers and they generally feed on insects, including beetles, while airborne. They are typically seen low over water or grassland.

The lined nests are built in a 60 cm burrow in a vertical bank. The clutch is two eggs.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Psalidoprocne obscura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1
  • Swallows and Martins by Turner and Rose ISBN 0-7470-3202-5
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