| Three-toed swiftlet | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Apodidae |
| Genus: | Aerodramus |
| Species: | A. papuensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aerodramus papuensis Rand, 1941 | |
The three-toed swiftlet or Papuan swiftlet (Aerodramus papuensis) is a species of swift. It is found in New Guinea.
The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes with hummingbirds. The treeswifts are closely related to the true swifts, but form a separate family, the Hemiprocnidae.
Swiftlets are birds contained within the four genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia. They form the Collocaliini tribe within the swift family Apodidae. The group contains around thirty species mostly confined to southern Asia, south Pacific islands, and northeastern Australia, all within the tropical and subtropical regions. They are in many respects typical members of the Apodidae, having narrow wings for fast flight, with a wide gape and small reduced beak surrounded by bristles for catching insects in flight. What distinguishes many but not all species from other swifts and indeed almost all other birds is their ability to use a simple but effective form of echolocation to navigate in total darkness through the chasms and shafts of the caves where they roost at night and breed. The nests of some species are built entirely from threads of their saliva, and are collected for the famous Chinese delicacy bird's nest soup.
Aerodramus is a genus of small, dark, cave-nesting birds in the Collocaliini tribe of the swift family. Its members are confined to tropical and subtropical regions in southern Asia, Oceania and northeastern Australia. Many of its members were formerly classified in Collocalia, but were first placed in a separate genus by American ornithologist Harry Church Oberholser in 1906.
The uniform swiftlet,, also known as the Vanikoro or lowland swiftlet, is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with somewhat paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. This species is widespread from the Philippines through Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia. It forages for flying insects primarily in lowland forests and open areas. It nests in caves where it uses its sense of echolocation, rare in birds, to navigate.
The Himalayan swiftlet is a small swift. It is a common colonial breeder in the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. Some populations are migratory.
The Seychelles swiftlet is a small bird of the swift family. It is found only in the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean.
The edible-nest swiftlet, also known as the white-nest swiftlet, is a small bird of the swift family which is found in South-East Asia. Its nest is made of solidified saliva and is used to make bird's nest soup.
The Ameline swiftlet, also known as the grey swiftlet, is usually considered a subspecies of the uniform swiftlet, although some taxonomists consider it a distinct species. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Despite some fears around conservation, the species remains a Least-concern species
Collocalia is a genus of swifts, containing some of the smaller species termed "swiftlets". Formerly a catch-all genus for these, a number of its erstwhile members are now normally placed in Aerodramus.
The Mariana swiftlet or Guam swiftlet is a species of swiftlet in the Apodidae family.
The glossy swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and eastwards to New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands.
The Germain's swiftlet is a species of swift.
The Moluccan swiftlets is a swift in the family Apodidae. They are endemic to Indonesia. They were at one time considered conspecific.
The Tahiti swiftlet or Polynesian swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands in French Polynesia, where it occurs on Tahiti and Moorea. It prefers wet, rocky and forested valleys at high elevations, and nests either in shallow depressions with overhanging rocks, coastal cliffs or caves.
The cave swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesia islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali. It is a woodland species and nests in caves. The Bornean swiftlet was considered a subspecies, but is now usually considered distinct.
The Atiu swiftlet is a species of bird in the swift family, endemic to Atiu in the Cook Islands.
The pygmy swiftlet is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines.
The giant swiftlet, also known as the waterfall swift, is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is monotypic within the genus Hydrochous. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is not totally nocturnal but able to orientate visually in dim light.
The Christmas Island swiftlet, also known as the Christmas glossy swiftlet or the Christmas cave swiftlet, is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean. It was formerly commonly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet.
The island swiftlet, also known as the Micronesian swiftlet, or Caroline Islands swiftlet, is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. Some taxonomists consider it to be a subspecies of the uniform swiftlet. It is endemic to the Caroline Islands, and its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
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