Here are comments from Don Turner on this subject:

 

The Ethiopian Swallow Hirundo aethiopica is well known in northern Kenya south to 
Laikipia and the Samburu-Shaba GRs and breeding on buildings is known 
from Moyale, Marsabit, Archer's Post and on a regular basis at El 
Karama Ranch, Laikipia (Grant & Lewis 1984: Scopus 8: 67-72). 
Elsewhere it is also a common breeding resident at the coast around 
beach caves from Mombasa north at least to Kilifi and Takaungu.

The race amadoni was described by White in 1956 from birds collected 
in British Somaliland, and indeed the Ethiopian Swallow is widespread 
in Somalia both inland and along the coast, and all are attributed to 
this race. In Ethiopia the nominate form is the more widespread, 
extending south to northern Kenya, with amadoni confined to the 
eastern and southeastern border regions with Somalia.

Britton (1980) considered all Kenya birds as belonging to the 
nominate form, apart from those at Lamu which he assigned to amadoni. 
Similarly Zimmerman et al. (1996) assigned coastal birds from the 
Somali border south to Lamu and possibly Malindi as amadoni (see 
Plate 73) and those in the remainder of the country as nominate. 
Carswell et al. (2005) also attributed Uganda birds to the nominate 
form.

Brian's recent photos clearly show that the race amadoni extends 
inland, and it is therefore quite possible that birds breeding at El 
Karama also belong here. Clearly there is now a need to determine 
the southern limits of the nominate form. Although the Ethiopian 
Swallow has been attributed as occurring south to Tanga there is as 
yet no reliably confirmed record of this species from Tanzania.

 

 

 

I'd rather go birding...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Itai Shanni

Avian Ecologist, Conservationist and a Guide.

Specialised in East Africa and the Middle East.

 

e-mail:itaish1@yahoo.com

Mobile: +972-523689773

Telefax: +972-779300173

Skype: itai_shanni

http://eilatbirding.blogspot.com/

 

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