Petrochelidon is a genus of birds known as cliff-nesting swallows.
Taxonomy The genus Petrochelidon was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis. He listed several species in the new genus but did not specify the type species. For the publication date of volume 1 see: In 1855 the English zoologist George Gray designated the type as Hirundo melanogaster Swainson. This taxon is now treated as a subspecies of the American cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota melanogaster). The genus name Petrochelidon is from the Greek words petra, "rock", and khelidon, "swallow".
The genus includes all five species commonly called cliff swallow. The genus contains ten species: Image Common name Scientific name DistributionAmerican cliff swallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonotaCanada and the United States of America, South American countries, such as Southern Brazil, Uruguay, and parts of Argentina.Cave swallowPetrochelidon fulvasouth-eastern New Mexico, Texas, Florida, the Greater Antilles, portions of southern Mexico, and along the west coast of South America.Chestnut-collared swallowPetrochelidon rufocollarisEcuador and Peru.Preuss's cliff swallowPetrochelidon preussiBenin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo.Red-throated cliff swallowPetrochelidon rufigulaAngola, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Gabon, and Zambia.Red Sea cliff swallowPetrochelidon perditaSudan. South African cliff swallow Petrochelidon spilodera Botswana, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Streak-throated swallowPetrochelidon fluvicolaAfghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Fairy martin Petrochelidon ariel Australia, with some birds reaching New Guinea and Indonesia. Tree martin Petrochelidon nigricans Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia east of the Wallace Line and the Solomon Islands.
References
External links Petrochelidon at Animal Diversity