African River Martin
Pseudochelidon eurystomina
- 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.
Continents
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: African river martin
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
