Plume-toed Swiftlet

Collocalia affinis

Family: Swifts · Status: Uncommon resident · Size: 10 cm · Conservation: Not Evaluated

Range

Resident in the islands of the eastern Indian Ocean, mainland Southeast Asia south of the Isthmus of Kra, through Sumatra and Borneo.

Identification

A small swiftlet with a square tail, distinctly glossy blue-black upperparts and whitish speckled underparts.

Habitat

Forests, open areas, and urban green spaces.

Behaviour

Feeds on aerial insects from ground level to just above the tree line; rarely ascends high above the canopy. Flight is faster and more chaotic than Black-nest/Edible-nest Swiftlets, which also tend to fly higher above the tree line.