Hirundo angolensis
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Angola swallow (Hirundo angolensis) is a species of swallow that is native to the Afrotropics. They measure 15 cm and weigh 16 to 19 g. The plumage of the forehead, throat and upper breast is coloured deep rufous-chestnut. The crown and upperparts are a shiny steel-blue. Flight and tail feathers are black, the latter with large white windows.
They frequent a variety of open habitats up to the fringes of forest, whether altered by man or natural. Their diet consists of a variety of flying insects. They may forage alone or in flocks, and emit a weak twittering. Their breeding season and abundance depends much on their region of residence, and a few undertake migrations.
It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. It has been considered conspecific with the Red-chested swallow, but is generally taken as a full species in a species complex that includes Barn, Red-chested, Pacific, Welcome, White-throated and Ethiopian swallows.
There are two subspecies, but intermediate forms occur: H. a. angolensis – type from... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nyungwe National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 2 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 4 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 5 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 6 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 7 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 8 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 9 | Semuliki National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 10 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 11 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 12 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 2 | Luanda | 🇦🇴 Angola | |
| 3 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Brazzaville | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Angola Swallow sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 147 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 203rd most-seen of the 398 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–May, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Angola Swallow in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January, June–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Angola Swallow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Angola Swallow sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda, about 30%), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda, about 30%) and Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 20%).
Same genus: Hirundo
The closest relatives of the Angola Swallow that you can see in Masai Mara National Reserve (genus Hirundo, Typical Swallows) are Wire-tailed Swallow (about 30%) and Barn Swallow (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Angola Swallow is recorded against all the birds logged in Masai Mara National Reserve (147 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
