Blyth's Swift
Apus leuconyx
A large swift with long pointed wings and a long, deeply forked tail. It has black upperparts, tail, and wings, with a prominent white rump. Feathers of underparts broadly fringed with dirty white, and throat is whitish. Often difficult or nearly impossible to separate in the field from other similar “fork-tailed swifts,” but the white rump band is slightly thinner than that of Pacific Swift, while Salim Ali’s Swift has a slightly differently shaped white throat patch. This species is less blackish than Cook’s Swift, with a slightly wider rump band. Mostly sticks to hills while breeding, but disperses widely post-breeding and large flocks or loose individuals can be seen almost anywhere.
Identification
Blyth's swift (Apus leuconyx) is a small species of bird. It is superficially similar to a house martin, but completely unrelated to those passerine species, as swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles.
Taxonomy
Genus: Apus; Family: Apodidae; Order: Apodiformes.
- Scientific name
- Apus leuconyx
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1845)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Apodidae
- Genus
- Apus
Range and habitat
Breeding range: PAL, OR : mid to high altitudes in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and ne India. Non-breeding range: some winter at lower altitudes in Nepal and peninsular India.
- Breeding range
- PAL, OR : mid to high altitudes in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and ne India
- Non-breeding range
- some winter at lower altitudes in Nepal and peninsular India
Photos
Other Birds
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A fairly small, localised bird of bare, rocky slopes above the treeline on certain peaks in the Snow Mountains. Overall sooty grey color, paler on the sides and belly, a narrow white band on the forehead and a large red patch on the chest. Perches on rocks from where it scans for prey. Unmistakable in its habitat. Voice, some harsh rasping notes.
Bearded Wood-Partridge
Dendrortyx barbatus
Very elusive, chickenlike bird of humid evergreen forest in foothills and highlands; scarce and very local in eastern Mexico where it is endemic. Usually in pairs or small groups on the forest floor. May be seen beside quiet trails and roads early and late in the day; runs away quickly and rarely flies. Note the blue-gray face and throat, red bill and eyering, and rusty breast. Loud rollicking songs are given mainly early and late in the day and most often reveal its presence.
Coleto
Sarcops calvus
A fairly large bird of forest canopy and more open wooded areas from the lowlands to low elevations in the mountains. Often seen on exposed snags. Pale gray from the back of the neck down the back to the rump and the sides. The rest of the underparts and wings are black. Head mostly covered with bare pink skin. Unmistakable. Voice includes a mixture of clicks, squeals, metallic warbling, and piping notes.
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