House Swallow
Hirundo javanica
About This Species
This swallow is a familiar sight over open country, villages, and coastlines across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, often seen skimming low over fields, ponds, or rooftops catching insects on the wing. Its glossy blue-black upperparts and pale underside are visible even in fast flight, and it frequently nests under eaves or bridges close to human settlements. Early morning and late afternoon, when insect activity peaks, are the best times to watch its agile aerial feeding.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Since this species feeds and nests close to people, simply observing from a normal walking distance without approaching active nest sites is sufficient and unlikely to cause disturbance.
- Legal protections for native birds vary considerably among the many countries across its range, so no single rule applies everywhere.
- Leaving nests under eaves undisturbed, especially during the breeding season, is the most reliable way to avoid harming a resident pair.
LCAvesPasseriformesHirundinidae
Seasonal Activity
398,774 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
Photo
(c) cdhsiao, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cdhsiao
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.