The nest is a shallow cup of twigs and other plant material, and the normal clutch is two or three brown-spotted white eggs.

Its legal protection ranges from none on the French overseas department of Réunion to a status on Mauritius as a "species of wildlife in respect of which more severe penalties are provided".

The Mascarene martin was first formally described in 1789 as Hirundo borbonica by German zoologist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his 13th edition of Linnaeus's Systema Naturae.

[2] Gmelin based his account on "La grande hirondelle brune à ventre tacheté" that had been described in 1779 by the French polymath, the Comte de Buffon in his multi-volume work Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux.

[5] The genus name is derived from the Greek phaios (φαιός) "brown" and the Italian rondine "swallow",[6] and the species name refers to the Île de Bourbon (old French name for Réunion).

DNA sequence studies suggest that there are three major groupings within the Hirundininae, broadly correlating with the type of nest built.

[9][10] The genus Phedina is thought to be an early offshoot from the main swallow lineage, although the striped plumage suggests a distant relationship with streaked African Hirundo species.

[1][8] Adult Mascarene martins of the nominate subspecies are 15 cm (5.9 in) long with wings averaging 117 mm (4.6 in)[8] and weigh 23.9 g (0.84 oz).

The slightly forked tail averages 54.6 mm (2.15 in) long and has white edges to the brown undertail coverts.

The sexes are similar, but juvenile birds have more diffuse breast streaking, and white tips to the feathers covering the closed wing.

There is a chip contact call,[8] and the young birds produce a fast twittering sound when begging for food.

Breeding habitat can be anywhere with suitable sites for constructing a nest, such as ledges, buildings, tunnels, caves or amongst rocks.

[30] The Mascarene martin has a heavy flight with slow wingbeats interspersed with glides,[31] and may repeatedly return to a favourite perch.

[8] The Mascarene martin nests in the wet season, August to November in Madagascar, and September to early January on Mauritius and Réunion.

The nest is a shallow cup of twigs and coarse plant material such as grass and Casuarina with a softer lining of feathers and finer vegetation.

[36] The feeding habitat in Madagascar includes woodlands, agricultural land, wetlands, semi-desert and open ground at altitudes up to 2,200 m (7,200 ft).

In Mauritius and Réunion this martin feeds from sea level up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) over reservoirs and coasts, along cliffs and over Casuarina or other trees and scrubs, and in eastern Africa, areas deforested by logging or conversion to agriculture are used for hunting.

The martin and the Mascarene Swiftlet occur on all the main islands, and are less vulnerable to the effects of human activities, especially since they can utilise houses for nest sites.

[48] In Mauritius, the Mascarene martin is legally protected as a "species of wildlife in respect of which more severe penalties are provided".