European Red-rumped Swallow

The European red-rumped swallow (Cecropis rufula) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. Historically, it was usually treated in a broad concept of the genus Hirundo, but is now treated in the genus Cecropis. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the eastern red-rumped swallow (Cecropis daurica), united, together with the African red-rumped swallow (C. melanocrissus, syn. C. domicella), under the common name of red-rumped swallow. == Description == European red-rumped swallow is somewhat similar in habits and appearance to the other aerial insectivores, such as the related swallows and the unrelated swifts (order Apodiformes). It has blue-glossed black upperparts and pale buffy underparts. Within Europe, it most closely resembles barn swallow, but is easily distinguished by being buffier below, with pale orangey or reddish rump, a pale buffy face and throat, and an orangey-red nape collar. It lacks the breast band of barn swallow, but has a black undertail, giving the appearance of the whole tail as being 'dipped in ink' and lacking the white tail spots of barn swallow. The tail is deeply forked, much more than western house martin but slightly less than barn swallow. It is a fast flier with long…