Aerodramus bartschi
The Mariana Swiftlet (*Aerodramus bartschi*) is a captivating aerial insectivore endemic to the Mariana Islands, belonging to the swiftlet family (Apodidae). This medium-sized bird typically measures 10-12 cm in length with a wingspan of approximately 25-30 cm, showcasing a sleek, aerodynamic build. Its plumage is uniformly dark sooty-brown, strikingly contrasted by a conspicuous pale greyish rump, a key field mark for identification. The tail is subtly forked, and its long, slender, scythe-l...
This swiftlet primarily inhabits limestone caves for roosting and nesting, foraging over adjacent native forests, cultivated areas, and open lands from sea level to moderate elevations.
Its diet consists exclusively of flying insects, including beetles, ants, moths, flies, wasps, and termites, all captured during continuous aerial foraging.
The Mariana Swiftlet is a creature of perpetual motion in its foraging grounds, engaging in diurnal aerial pursuits of insects, with particularly intense flurries of activity around cave entrances at dawn and dusk. Roosting and breeding occur deep within dark, often inaccessible, limestone caves....
The Mariana Swiftlet is an insular endemic, with its entire global population restricted to the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Its primary breeding and year-round range encompasses several islands within this archipelago, including Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Aguijan. Historica...
Endangered
- The Mariana Swiftlet is one of only a handful of bird species in the world known to use echolocation, emitting audible clicks to navigate pitch-black caves. - Unlike most birds, it never perches on branches or the ground, spending its entire non-nesting life in flight or clinging to vertical ca...