Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758.

Length 19 cm. This bird is blue-black on its back; the underparts are creamy with a dark breast band and reddish brown throat and forehead. The Egyptian subspecies has rusty brown underparts. The adult bird has long tail streamers; shorter in the juvenile; the wings are long and narrow. The Swallow inhabits agricultural areas, swamps, rivers, and lakes and feeds on flying insects, which it catches on the wing. It builds its nests under bridges, in crevices, and on buildings in spring; the eggs are incubated by both parents; typical clutch size is five. The average lifespan of the Swallows is four years. In Egypt, it is a common breeding resident and passage migrant; it is found in the Nile Valley and Delta and the Suez Canal area.