ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

--CONTROL ----
The reddish swallow (Cecropis daurica) is an insectivorous migratory bird of the Hirundinide family, nesting island in southern Europe, eastern and southern Asia and Africa. The populations of southern Europe and eastern Asia migrate and winter in South Saharan Africa or South Asia. The populations of Africa and South Asia are sedentary (not migrating). Cuddles in open regions, preferably rocky, mountain areas or along steep coasts, sometimes in ruins cavities, under bridges, especially built from concrete, in deserted quarries, etc.

14 subspecies are recognised. In Romania he nests the subspecies Cecropis daurica rufula in Dobrogea, in the Retezat Mountains, Parang, Apuseni, in the Danube Cisura and Cernei Mountains. Romania's nesting population is small and counts between 500- 1,500 nesting pairs. A specimen of this species was recently observed in the Republic of Moldova near the lake in Horești, Ialoveni district on 11 May 2019.

It has a length of 16- 17 cm and a weight of 19- 29 g. The maximum longevity is 8-9 years. The sex is similar to the color of the plumage, but the female has a shorter tail than the male. It is recognized by the distinctive colour of the plumage. The nominated subspecies (Cecropis daurica daurica) has a Christian and a dark blue back, the back is separated from the head by an incomplete brown (brown-red) cervical collar, the brisket is black (brown-red) with fine stripes (striations). The wings and tail are blackened with some gloss, the lateral rectricles of the tail (tail threads) are elongated. Lower parts brown-yellow, with long dark striations, black subcodal feathers. Black-yellowish creamy subalars. The rufula subspecies has open dark-red lower parts, narrow striations and a complete collar. It looks like the swallow, but the red chest has slight longitudinal striations; the back and back of the neck are the bricks (dark-red), the black subcods (white in the swallow).

The food is almost exclusively made up of flying insects, which it catches by doing very agile flights, consisting of sliding in the air, with its wings stretched out. In Romania arrives in April-May, depending on the climatic conditions of that year. Most pairs nest in isolation, but sometimes in small colonies of several nests. The nest is built by both sexes of mud and some vegetation, being glued to a support under roofs, walls of houses, in abandoned careers, in ruins, under bridges or cracks and in caves or cliffs. The nest is completely closed and has a neck (tunnel) serving as an entrance. The interior of the nest is lined with various fine vegetable remains, feathers or animal hair, usually wool. In good years, he can pull out two sets of chicken. The ponta consists of 4, rarely 5 or 6 eggs, and the 2nd of 3 and sometimes even 4 eggs. Eggs are long and subbelliptic, being bright and usually white, only rarely are