It is native of South Asia where it is a breeder, year-round resident or winter visitor in the countries of Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

It belongs to the family Hirundinidae, named by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815.

The brown streaks on the throat and chest are distinctive and used to differentiate from other similar birds.

On cold mornings, large flocks are seen closely-packed on electric wires to catch the early sun.

It is found in large colonies in cultivated fields and open areas near ponds, lakes, canals and rivers.

In a college in Rajasthan, India, a flock of streak-throated swallows had built a nest colony about 9 m (30 ft) above the ground, under the roof.