Whiskered Treeswift

Scientific Name: Hemiprocne comata
Malay Name: Layang-layang Berjambul Kecil
Chinese Name: 小须凤头雨燕

Range:
Found from Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo to the Philippines.

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: comata, major.

Local Subspecies: comata

Size: 15-16.5 cm

Identification:
Resembles Grey-rumped Treeswift but smaller. Body mostly olive-bronze with dark glossy blue crown, nape, upper throat and wings. Long white supercilium and malar streak. Whitish vent. Male has chestnut ear-coverts while female has blackish ear-coverts.

Similar looking species: Grey-rumped Treeswift

Habitat: Forested area.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feed on small insects taken in sallies from a perch.

Local Status: Very rare non-breeding visitor. Last know sighting was a female bird seen at the Central Catchment Forest on 9 August 2011.

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

• Bird List Revision for May 2019 (Revisions)
• Local extinctions of Singapore birds (Science)
• Messages from the Cinereous and Streaked Bulbuls (Science)

Past accepted records in our database:

Male Whiskered Treeswift at Panti. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Female Whiskered Treeswift at Panti. Photo credit: Alan Ng.

Female Whiskered Treeswift at Panti. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Female Whiskered Treeswift at Rifle Range Link. Photo credit: Francis Yap