Hirundo

Taxonomy

The genus Hirundo was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The genus name is the Latin word for a swallow. Linnaeus included eight species in the genus and of these William Swainson designated the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) as the type species.

Extant species

The genus contains sixteen species. The linear sequence is based on two molecular phylogenetic studies published in 2005 and 2018.

Extinct species

There are at least two fossil species included in this genus:

• †Hirundo gracilis (late Miocene of Polgardi, Hungary)
• †Hirundo major (Pliocene of Csarnota, Hungary)

Former species

Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Hirundo including:

• West African swallow (as Hirundo domicella)