Uniform Swiftlet
Aerodramus vanikorensis
A large, long-winged, entirely gray-brown swiftlet with a very shallow tail fork and a gliding flight action. Found over a variety of habitats, often in flocks with other swiftlets. Almost always seen in flight. Widespread, so overlaps with multiple similar swiftlets. Uniform Swiftlet is larger and longer-winged than Glossy, Cave, and Bornean Swiftlets, with a dark belly and a non-fluttering flight action. Uniform Swiftlet lacks the clear pale rump of White-rumped, Seram, Halmahera, Sulawesi, and some Glossy Swiftlets, and is larger than those species. Uniform lacks gloss on upperparts, unlike Mayr’s, Mountain, and Glossy Swiftlets. It is smaller than Bare-legged, Mayr’s, Papuan, Volcano, and Giant Swiftlets. It is most similar to Edible-nest and Black-nest Swiftlets, but Uniform is darker beneath, and lacks the slightly paler rump of Edible-nest; it is best distinguished from those species by its mossy nest.
Identification
The uniform swiftlet is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. It is about 13 cm long with a wingspan averaging around 27 cm. It weighs about 11 grams. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. It is similar to, and most likely to be confused with, the white-rumped swiftlet or mountain swiftlet.
Taxonomy
The uniform swift was formally described in 1832 by the French naturalists Jean Quoy and Joseph Gaimard from a specimen collected on the island of Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands. They coined the binomial name Hirundo vanikorensis. This swiftlet is now placed in the genus Aerodramus that was introduced in 1906 by Harry C. Oberholser.<p>Twelve subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Aerodramus vanikorensis
- Authority
- (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Apodidae
- Genus
- Aerodramus
Range and habitat
This species is widespread from the Philippines through Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia. It has been recorded as a rare vagrant to Australia, from Cape York Peninsula and islands in Torres Strait.<p>The uniform swiftlet forages over lowland forests and open areas. It roosts in caves and sinkholes, mostly in limestone areas. The caves may be as little as 10 m (33 ft) long but are usually much larger. Sometimes man-made tunnels or structures are used.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
This species feeds on flying insects, especially ants.<p>This species nests colonially in caves where it uses echolocation to navigate. The nest is a shallow cup of mossy material and saliva, usually attached to a vertical surface of a cave wall in the completely dark zone. On Guam, Neckeropsis lepiniana, is used as the nesting material and in Hawaii, a liverwort (Herberta spp.) is used. One or two white eggs form the clutch. The incubation period is at least twelve days and the young may take thirty-five days to fledge.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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