Wire-tailed Swallow

The Wire-tailed Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family and is mainly resident in India, but populations in Pakistan and Northern India migrate further south in winter. Their common name is derived from their very long tail feathers which look like two wires. Their scientific name honours Professor Chetien Smith, a Norwegian botanist, who discovered the species. They are generally found single or in pairs unlike other swallows which are found in colonies. They are also very fast flyers swooping and banking low on water or doing acrobatic flights in air to catch insects.