African River Martin
Photo: John Gould · Public domain

Swallows

African River Martin

Pseudochelidon eurystomina

DDData Deficient
Family
Swallows (Hirundinidae)
Order
Passeriformes

Overview

The African river martin (Pseudochelidon eurystomina) is a passerine bird, one of two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family, Hirundinidae. When discovered, it was not initially recognised as a swallow, and its structural differences from most of its relatives, including its stout bill and robust legs and feet, have led to its current placement in a separate subfamily shared only with the Asian white-eyed river martin. The African river martin is a large swallow, mainly black with a blue-green gloss to the head and a greener tint to the back and wings. The under-wings are brownish, the underparts are purple-black, and the flight feathers are black.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Large rivers of Democratic Republic of the Congo; winters to coastal Gabon.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.