Aerodramus sawtelli
The Atiu Swiftlet, *Aerodramus sawtelli*, is a small, enigmatic aerial insectivore endemic to the volcanic island of Atiu in the southern Cook Islands. Measuring approximately 10-12 cm in length with a wingspan of 20-25 cm and weighing around 10-15 grams, this swiftlet exhibits a sleek, dark sooty-brown plumage overall, often appearing blackish in flight, with slightly paler underparts. Its long, pointed wings and forked tail (though less deeply forked than some swift species) are characteris...
Primarily inhabits limestone cave systems for roosting and nesting, foraging aerially over the island's interior forests, coastal scrub, and agricultural clearings from sea level up to the island's highest points.
Exclusively insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of small flying insects, including beetles, flies, moths, and winged ants, caught on the wing during continuous aerial foraging.
The Atiu Swiftlet is a highly social and diurnal species, spending most of its active hours in continuous, rapid flight foraging for insects. At dusk, large flocks return to the safety of the island's deep, dark limestone caves, where they roost colonially, clinging to vertical rock faces. Their ...
The Atiu Swiftlet is an exquisite example of extreme endemism, with its entire global population restricted to a single island: Atiu, in the southern Cook Islands archipelago. This species is a year-round resident on Atiu, with no known migratory patterns or vagrant records beyond its home island...
Vulnerable
- The Atiu Swiftlet is one of the few bird species globally capable of echolocation, emitting high-frequency clicks to navigate in the absolute darkness of its cave roosts. - Its unique ability to echolocate within its deep limestone caves gave it its local name, "kopeka," a term often associated...