Bright blue and red long-tailed swallow; upperparts deep glossy blue, with bluish brown wings; chestnutred forehead and throat, with blueblack breast band below; underparts highly variable, depending on race – from white to rufous; long, deeply forked tail, with row of broad white subterminal spots and tail streamers; distinguished from other swallows by dark breast band; in flight, by unbroken dark upperparts, except for forehead; gregarious; often huge flocks in passage; communal rooster; skilled flier; hawks insects low over ground, water.