Plume-toed Swiftlet

Plume-toed Swiftlet

Scientific Name: Collocalia affinis

Malay Name: Layang-layang Kecil Biasa

Chinese Name: 毛趾金丝燕

Range: Breeding Range: (OR) Eastern Indian Ocean, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: affinis, elachyptera, vanderbilti, oberholseri, cyanoptila.

Local Subspecies: cyanoptila

Size: 10 cm

Identification: A small swiftlet with square tail. Can be easily separate from similar looking Edible-nest Swiftlet and Black-nest Swiftlet by the whitish belly/vent and all black upperparts without any pale rump-band.

Similar looking species: Black-nest Swiftlet, Edible-nest Swiftlet

Habitat: Open habitat and forested areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Often seen flying/feeding just above the tree line taking various insects in flight.

Local Status: Uncommon resident

Location: Central Catchment Forest, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Dairy Farm Nature Park and Bukit Batok Nature Park.

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References:

Rheindt, F. E., Christidis, L., Norman, J. A., Eaton, J. A., Sadanandan, K. R., & Schodde, R. (2017). Speciation in Indo-Pacific swiftlets (Aves: Apodidae): Integrating molecular and phenotypic data for a new provisional taxonomy of the Collocalia esculenta complex. Zootaxa, 4250(5), 401-433.

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