A Red Sea Cliff Swallow Has Only Been Found Once In Sudan In 1984 And Got Listed As Its Own Species

"If I've learned anything from Monty Python, it's that African swallows are non-migratory."

Ayoub

• Published in Interesting
• November 29, 2022

Also known as the Red Sea swallow, the Red Sea cliff swallow (Petrochelidon Perdita) belongs to the family of Hirundinidae bird species. Only a single specimen got found in 1984 in the northeast of Port Sudan, Sudan, specifically at the Sanganeb lighthouse.

The bird may be endemic to Sudan. That means when a species is exclusively found in a single geographic location, such as a state, island, nation, country, or another specific zone. 

The enigmatic swallow may still be out there, though the absence of recent records is simply bewildering. The bird's scientific name translates from Latin to the lost swallow, and there have been suggestions that it breeds around the Red Sea in Sudan or Ethiopia.

Awash swallows have brownish throats and brownish-white underparts, while Lake Langano birds have blue-black upper parts and a pale pink or rufous rump. 

Although cliff swallows are variable, it is not conclusive that the variations were caused by the original specimen. It is alternatively placed in the genus Hirundo. It is also classified as a member of the Hirundo genus.

A Redditor who goes by the username u/DanHam117 made a post on the r/todayilearned subReddit where they shared a pretty interesting fact; scroll down to check it out!

Here's the original post by Reddit user u/DanHam117:

The bird didn't match any other species and got listed as its own species.

Here's how the Reddit community reacted to u/DanHam117's post:

That is some next-level insults right there. Absolutely brutal.

"...there is no definite line between species and not-species..."

Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well. That's a very trustworthy source.

What made them think it was a completely different species?

They didn't even bother to take a picture of it.

Someone saw the opportunity and jumped on it.

"If only a single specimen was ever found, how could that be determined?"

There are so many possibilities.

This user gave a detailed explanation and answered the previous user's question:

The group needs to be separate and self-sufficient.

They put the bird in its own "bucket" until more data is available.

The "bucket" explanation makes it a whole lot clearer.

That could be a possible explanation.

Welcome to the club, and meet your new friends.

They have been traveling with coconuts their whole lives.

Or the worst, since they never find their peers.

The most legendary of all earthly Pokémon.

They could easily figure it out with DNA.

They probably don't have that luxury.

It must have been quite a lonely bird since they never found any others that resemble it. But that makes it extra special and earned it the only spot in his own species.

It would be interesting to spot a similar bird today and finally have the opportunity to study it closely and gather more information about it. If you enjoyed reading this, make sure to check out similar content on our platform.

Ayoub