Fanti saw-wing

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Fanti saw-wing
Fanti Saw-wing (Psalidoprocne obscura) (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Psalidoprocne
Species:
P. obscura
Binomial name
Psalidoprocne obscura
(Hartlaub, 1855)
Psalidoprocne obscura distribution map.png
Fanti saw-wing (Psalidoprocne obscura) in Brufut forest, The Gambia, December 2021 Fantisawwinggambia.jpg
Fanti saw-wing (Psalidoprocne obscura) in Brufut forest, The Gambia, December 2021

The Fanti saw-wing (Psalidoprocne obscura), also known as the Fanti rough-winged swallow, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. The Fanti saw-wing has often described as the most beautiful of the swallows, owing to its uniformly shimmering green plumage.

Contents

Description

This is a small swallow at 17 cm. Its plumage is glossy green. The tail is long and deeply forked. Sexes are similar, but the female has a shorter tail. Juveniles are brown with little gloss, and have short tails.

Distribution and habitat

The Fanti saw-wing breeds in the lowlands of southern west Africa from Senegal to Cameroon. It is mainly resident, apart from seasonal movements. This bird is found in open country, including light woodland, near water.

Fanti saw-wings are graceful flyers and they generally feed on insects, including beetles, while airborne. They are typically seen low over water or grassland.

The lined nests are built in a 60 cm burrow in a vertical bank. The clutch is two eggs.

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References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Psalidoprocne obscura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22712562A94336767. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22712562A94336767.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.