Mascarene Martin

Phedina borbonica (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

Mascarene Martin, Phedina borbonica, is a passerine in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and the western and central Mascarene Islands, and also ranges into eastern Africa outside the breeding season. The Madagascan form moves seasonally, while the Mauritius and Réunion form stays within the Mascarene Islands. It is a small swallow with grey-brown underparts, white on the throat and lower belly, dark grey-brown upperparts, and a tail that is only slightly forked. The underparts are strongly marked with black streaks. It nests in small colonies in sheltered places such as ledges, buildings, tunnels, caves and rocks.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Hirundinidae — Swallows, Martins

Breeding range

Africa, Indian Ocean: Madagascar and w, c Mascarenes

Nonbreeding range

e AF