Genus
Hirundo (Typical swallows)
Hirundo rustica erythrogaster. Photo: (c) peregrin8, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
The bird genus Hirundo is a group of passerines in the family Hirundinidae (swallows and martins). The genus name is the Latin for a swallow. These are the typical swallows, including the widespread barn swallow. Many of this group have blue backs, red on the face and sometimes the rump or nape, and whitish or rufous underparts. With fourteen species this genus is the largest in its family.