Mascarene Martin
Phedina borbonica
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
- GenusPhedina
- SpeciesPhedina borbonica (Mascarene Martin)
The Mascarene martin or Mascarene swallow (Phedina borbonica) is a passerine bird in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and in the Mascarene Islands. The nominate subspecies occurs on Mauritius and Réunion and has never been found away from the Mascarene Islands, but the smaller Madagascan subspecies, P. b. madagascariensis, is migratory and has been recorded wintering in East Africa or wandering to other Indian Ocean islands. The Mascarene martin is a small swallow that has grey-brown underparts becoming white on the throat and lower abdomen, dark grey-brown upperparts and a slightly forked tail. The underparts are heavily streaked with black. It nests in small colonies anywhere with suitably sheltered sites for constructing a nest, such as ledges, buildings, tunnels, caves or amongst rocks. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Mascarene Martin sighting in Berenty Reserve, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Berenty Reserve
Crested Drongo
Dicrurus forficatus
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone mutata
Madagascar Magpie-Robin
Copsychus albospecularis
Common Jery
Neomixis tenella
Madagascar Bulbul
Hypsipetes madagascariensis
Souimanga Sunbird
Cinnyris sovimanga
Hook-billed Vanga
Vanga curvirostris
Sakalava Weaver
Ploceus sakalava
Madagascar White-eye
Zosterops maderaspatanus
Common Newtonia
Newtonia brunneicauda
Madagascar Fody
Foudia madagascariensis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Berenty Reserve | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 4 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mascarene Martin in Berenty Reserve?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Mascarene Martin sighting in Berenty Reserve, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mascarene Martin in Berenty Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Mascarene Martin in Berenty Reserve in our monthly data.