Identification
Brightly-colored swallow with a deeply forked tail, pale orangish rump, black squared-off undertail coverts, an incomplete orange collar, and faint streaking below. Juveniles average paler and lack extensive orangish tones; may resemble house-martins but note deeply forked tail. Typically glides on stiff, flat wings, flying quite languidly with shallow wingbeats. Builds mud nests in mountains, on sea cliffs, and on buildings and other structures. Forages over open areas. Frequently gives a short, sparrow-like “twi’wit.” Eastern and African Red-rumped Swallows are similar, but European differs from both in having a bicolored rump (rufous orange upper rump and whitish lower rump), broad rufous-orange collar, extensive rufous-orange on face including lores and supercilium, and buffy underparts with fine streaking.