Common Swift
Apus apus
Medium-sized swift, dark overall with a white throat. Almost always seen in fast, direct flight, which, as the name suggests, is swift. Bigger and longer-winged than swallows, with strong stiff wingbeats. Lacks the white rump patches of similarly-sized Pacific Swift (and other "fork-tailed swifts") and various needletails. Nests in cavities in cliffs and buildings. Ranges widely over any habitat in search of aerial insects, often over lakes and reservoirs where swallows congregate. Usually flies higher than swallows except when swooping low to drink by splashing briefly on water surface. Calls frequently, especially near the nest, giving a high-pitched wheezing scream.
识别特征
Common swifts are 16–17 cm (6.3–6.7 in) long with a wingspan of 38–40 cm (15–16 in) and entirely blackish-brown except for a small white or pale grey patch on their chins which is not visible from a distance. They have a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang.<p>Their call is a loud scream in two different tone pitches, the higher of which issues from the female. They often form "screaming parties" during summer evenings, when 10–20 swifts will gather in flight around their nesting area, calling out and being answered by nesting swifts. Larger "screaming parties" are formed at higher altitudes, especially late in the breeding season. The purpose of these parties is uncertain, but may include ascending to sleep on the wing, while still breeding adults tend to spend the night in the nest. Tracking swifts at their breeding colonies using radar has revealed that individuals often occur in flocks during evening ascent and dawn descent but not during the subsequent evening descent or prior dawn ascent, suggesting that this flocking benefits the swifts via cue acquisition and information exchange between individuals or through extending social behaviour.
分类信息
The common swift was one of the many species described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He introduced the binomial name Hirundo apus. The current genus Apus was erected by the Italian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1777 based on tautonymy. The word apus is the Latin word for a swift. It is derived from the Ancient Greek α, a, "without", and πούς, pous, "foot", based on the belief that these birds were a form of swallow that lacked feet.<p>A Central European subspecies which lived during the last ice age has been described as Apus apus palapus.
- 学名
- Apus apus
- 命名信息
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- 目
- Apodiformes
- 科
- Apodidae
- 属
- Apus
分布与栖息地
Breeding range: PAL : widespread. Non-breeding range: s AF.
- 繁殖区
- PAL : widespread
- 非繁殖区
- s AF
- 迁徙
- Complete migrants
行为
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
保护状况
Population trend: stable.
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Threnetes leucurus
Scarce hummingbird that looks similar to a hermit. Look for buffy patch across the base of the neck, bold whitish flashes in the tail, and a fairly long, slightly decurved bill. Face pattern is rather diffuse, but look for the whitish mustache and pale line behind the eye. Found in the understory of forest and edges in lowlands and foothills below around 1,100 m where it stays low, quickly zipping around flower patches.
Blakiston's Fish-Owl
Ketupa blakistoni
Massive pale brown owl with plump, rounded ear tufts. An endangered species, found in mature boreal forests near streams where there are tree cavities suitable for nesting. Preys mostly on fish. Distinguished from Eurasian Eagle-Owl by absence of broad black streaks on breast and rounder, thicker ear tufts that are not held erect. Deep, resonant song, given in duet by pair. Duet consists of three notes, with the first two notes from a male and a third from a female. The lower-pitched female note partially overlaps with the second male note.
Nepal House-Martin
Delichon nipalense
A typical house-martin, with dark upperparts, white underparts, a white rump, and a rather dumpy body. Differs from Common and Asian House-Martins by its sooty throat. Upperparts can have a bluish gloss if seen in good light. Breeds on ridges and cliffs, and occasionally around human settlements. Associates with other swallows and swifts, often gathering over water to catch emerging insects.
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