Northern House Martin

Delichon urbica urbica (Linnaeus, 1758)

2007-04-26 Baiseit, Enbekshikazakh region, Almaty oblast	© Askar Isabekov

Description

Upperparts are bluish-black with the blue metallic gloss. The white color on the rump is less extensive than on lagopoda. The longest upper tail coverts are all black or have pale at the bases only. The white rump and upper tail covert feathers sometimes have dark shafts. The throat, breast, flanks and undertail are white, sometimes brownish-grey tinged. The axillaries are brownish-grey. The tail fork is deeper than on lagopoda, about 15-25 mm. Males wing 107-118mm (110.7), females wing 104-115 mm (111.6).

Distribution

Breeds the most part of Kazakhstan from Uralsk and Atyrau eastward up to Southern Altai (Markakol lake) and Northern Tien Shan; in the south to Sagiz station, Daumdzhar gorge on Emba river, Naurzum Reserve, Astana, Ucharal and Almaty. On migration occurs throughout.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.
В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург, Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.