Least Concern Birds

Lesser Striped Swallow

Cecropis abyssinica

Lesser Striped Swallow hunts flying insects near African grasslands and villages.

Scientific name	Cecropis abyssinica
Swahili name	Kibuyu kidogo chenye mistari
Conservation status	Least Concern
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Hirundinidae
Size	Male: body length approximately 15-17 cm, weight about 18-25 g; female: slightly smaller body length, slightly lighter weight

See this species in the app

How to identify

Small size, about 14-15 cm long; upper body blue-black with metallic sheen; underside white with reddish-brown stripes; rump reddish-brown; tail long and deeply forked; crown reddish-brown.

Habitat

Open grasslands, wooded savannas, edges of farmland and near villages, commonly found in open areas with trees and buildings

Diet

Primarily feeds on flying insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and beetles

When it is active

Diurnal, more active in early morning and late afternoon

Where it lives

Mainly distributed in eastern and southern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and South Africa. Common in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve

How to spot it

Observe in early morning or late afternoon in open grasslands or near villages; watch for feeding behavior in flight; use binoculars to capture flight posture