White-bibbed Swallow

Open encyclopedia reference

The white-bibbed swallow (Hirundo nigrita), also known as the white-throated blue swallow, is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. The plumage is mainly glossy dark blue, but may appear black at a distance. It is widespread but generally uncommon across the African tropical rainforest (including Dahomey Gap). It is generally a resident, non-migratory bird, though it may undertake minor local movements. In Sierra Leone they are noted mainly from December to July, though long-distance seasonal migrations are not suspected. They are found year-round near tropical rivers, lakes, and rainforest streams. No subspecies are known. They have solitary and territorial nesting habits. The open cup-shaped nests are built by both sexes, and placed from near the water surface to 3 meters up. The nest of mud pellets and some dry grass is lined on the inside with soft material, like feathers, bark strips or grass. Nests are placed on either natural sites like rock faces, cliffs, fallen trees, etc., or less often attached to man-made structures like bridges, piers, etc.

Wikipedia contributors, White-bibbed swallow; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:45:20.868500+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Hirundo nigrita G. R. Gray, 1845

Name authority

G. R. Gray, 1845

Common name

White-bibbed Swallow

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Hirundinidae

Genus

Hirundo

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classAves
9. orderPasseriformes
10. familyHirundinidae Rafinesque, 1815
11. genusHirundo Linnaeus, 1758
12. speciesHirundo nigrita G. R. Gray, 1845

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Hirundo. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 73 records assigned to Hirundinidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. Gray, & George Robert. (1845). The Genera of Birds: Comprising Their Generic Differences, a Notice of the Habits of Each Genus, and an Extensive List of Species Referred to Their Several Genera, Vol. 1, Part 10. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:3M4RW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.