BIRD 6

We finish with a glossy blue-black bird flying just above the ground. That blue-black colour seems to cover the whole of the upperparts from the upper tail coverts to the crown. The forecrown (or ‘front’, just above the bill) is deep reddish, as is the throat. The only other bit of colour we can see on this bird is the pale buff colour of the lower belly (showing just behind the wing). Structurally, it has a typical hirundine profile, with long, but not excessively long, wings. The tail has two very obvious long, fine ‘streamers’ for outermost feathers. This combination of colours and structure should have led you to this being a Swallow, or Barn Swallow if you prefer the American-style nomenclature.

KEY FEATURES †Glossy blue-black upperparts †Red throat and just above bill †Pale undertail coverts †Long tail streamers