This family is comprised of swallows and martins which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. The name "martin" tends to be used for the squarer-tailed species, and the name "swallow" for the more fork-tailed species; however, there is no scientific distinction between these two groups.

The swallows have a cosmopolitan distribution across the world and breed on all the continents except Antarctica. It is believed that this family originated in Africa as hole-nesters; Africa still has the greatest diversity of species. A number of European and North American species are long-distance migrants; by contrast, the West and South African swallows are non-migratory.

[Abstracted from Wikipedia]


Genus Alopochelidon - 1 species

Swallow, Tawny-headed  Alopochelidon fucata  Found: South America
Photographed by: 1, 2) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil


Genus Cecropis

Swallow, Red-rumped Cecropis daurica   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed/Drawn by: 1) John Gould Birds of Asia, Vol. IV  2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Tanzania



Genus Delichon

Martin, Asian House  Delichon dasypus  Found: Asia
Photograhed by: 1) Cleany Lee 2,  3) Stella C Eagle


Martin, House aka Common House Martin  Delichon urbica   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by : 1) Dick Daniels Tanzania   2) Dick - South Africa 3)  Dick - Scotland 4) Aelwyn



Genus Hirundo

Swallow, Barn Hirundo rustica   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
1, 2) Dick Daniels in North Carolina   3) Dick - California   4, 5) Dick - Nepal
1) Male  2, 3, 4) Female   5) The black neck ring is larger - Asia



Swallow, Greater Striped  Hirundo cucullata   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Derek Keats


Swallow, Lesser Striped Hirundo abyssinica   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Jack Versloot - South Africa  2) Dick Daniels near Kruger National Park, South Africa


Swallow, Pacific  Hirundo tahitica  Found: Asia Photographed by: 1) JJ Harrison  2) Johnny Wee


Swallow, Red-chested  Hirundo lucida  Found: Africa
Photographed by: Steve Garvie - The Gambia


Swallow, Welcome  Hirundo neoxena  Found: Australia, New Zealand Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) JJ Harrison - Tasmania, Australia   4) Arthur Chapman - Tasmania, Australia


Swallow, White-tailed Hirundo megaensis Found: Africa
Photographed by: NEED PHOTOS

Swallow, White-throated  Hirundo albigularis  Found: southern Africa
Photographed by: Arno Meintjes


Swallow, Wire-tailed  Hirundo smithii  Found: Asia, Africa
Photographed/Drawn by:  1) John Gould - Birds of Asia, Vol. III   2) Lip Kee Yap - Kenya  3, 4) Arno Meintjes



Genus Notiochelidon

Swallow, Blue-and-white  Notiochelidon cyanoleucaFound: South America
Photographed by:  1, 2, 3) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  4) Dario Sanches - Brazil
3) Juvenile



Genus Petrochelidon

Martin, Fairy  Petrochelidon ariel  Found: Australia
Photographed by:1) Aviceda  23) Oystercatcher


Martin, Tree  Petrochelidon nigricans  Found: Australasia
Photographed by: Aviceda - Australia


Swallow, Cliff  Petrochelidon pyrrhonota  Found: The Americas
Photographed by: 1) Elaine R Wilson by the Link Canal, Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge, Oregon 
    2) Ingrid Taylar - Cayucos, California  3) DoriBot


Genus Progne

Martin, Brown-chested  Progne tapera  Found: South America
 1) Dario Niz   2, 3) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil


Martin, Gray-breasted  Progne chalybea  Found: Central and South America
Photographed by: 1, 2) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil


Martin, Purple Progne subis   Found: North America
Photographed by:  1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - North Carolina
1, 2) Male  3, 4) Female




Genus Psalidoprocne

Saw-wing, Fanti  Psalidoprocne obscura  Found: Africa
Steve Garvie- The Gambia



Genus Ptyonoprogne

Martin, Rock Ptyonoprogne fuligula   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania  



Genus Riparia

Martin, Banded  Riparia cincta  Found: Africa
Photographed by: Arno Meintjes


Martin, Brown-throated Sand aka Brown Throated Martin  Riparia paludicola  Found: Africa, Asia
Phtotographed by: Dick Daniels - the De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa


Martin, Sand  Riparia riparia  Found: Asia, Africa 
Photographed  / Drawn by: 1) Naumann   2) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  3) Axel Strauß - Finland



Genus Stelgidopteryx

Swallow, Northern Rough-winged  Stelgidopteryx serripennis  Found: North America
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Alan D Wilson - Port Coquitlam, British Columbia  4) Mdf - Ontario, Canada  5,6) Dori - Wisconson

Swallow, Southern Rough-winged  Stelgidopteryx ruficollis  Found: Central and South America
Photographed by: 1, 2) Cláudio Timm - Brazil
1) Juvenile



Genus Tachycineta

Swallow, Chilean  Tachycineta meyeni  Found: South America
Photographed by: 1, 2) Cláudio Timm - Brazil


Swallow, Mangrove  Tachycineta albilinea  Found: Central America
Photographed by: 1) Hans Hillewaert - Costa Rica  2) Jerry Oldenettel - Costa Rica


Swallow, Tree Tachycineta bicolor   Found: North America
Photographed by:    2, 4) Dick Daniels - the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire  1. 3) Dick - Assateague Island, Virginia


Swallow, Violet-green Tachycineta thalassina   Found: The Americas
Photographed by:  1) Wolfgang Wander   2) Walter Siegmund  4, 5) Dick Daniels - Arizona
   3) Elaine R Wilson - Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, Victoria, British Columbia



Swallow, White-rumped  Tachycineta leucorrhoa  Found: South America
Photographed by: 1) Valentina Ferretti - Argentina   2, 3) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
3) Juveniles


Swallow, White-winged  Tachycineta albiventer  Found: South America
Photographed by:  1)  Cláudio Timm - the Amazon, Brazil   2, 3)  Dominic Sherony  4) Tom Friedel - Venezuela