House Swift

Scientific Name: Apus nipalensis
Malay Name: Layang-layang Sabit Biasa
Chinese Name: 小白腰雨燕

Range:
Found throughout Southeast Asia.

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: nipalensis, subfurcatus, furcatus, kuntzi.

Local Subspecies: subfurcatus

Size: 14-15 cm

Identification:
Overall blackish plumage with whitish throat, broad clear white rump-band, long scimitar-shaped wings and squarish tail that is only slightly notched.

Similar looking species: Pacific Swift, Common Swift

Habitat: Forested, open and urban areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds on flying insects, mainly flying ants, termites, bees, wasps and beetles. They also go for other tidbits that they can snatch on the wing like spiders.

Local Status: Formerly common but now a scarce resident.

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Central Catchment Forest, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Bishan Park, Pinnacle@Duxton, Punggol Barat, Lorong Halus, Tuas South and Pulau Ubin.

Photos:

House Swift at Pinnacle. Photo credit: Daniel Wee

House Swift at Pinnacle. Photo credit: Roy Sim

House Swift. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai

House Swift at Lorong Halus. Photo credit: Francis Yap

House Swift. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai

House Swift. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai

External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (House Swift)

References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Apus nipalensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22686861A93129265.en. Accessed on 19 December 2021

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.