Aerodramus salangana
The Mossy-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus salangana) is a medium-sized aerial insectivore, typically measuring 12-14 cm in length with a wingspan of approximately 28-30 cm. Its plumage is generally dark sooty-brown across the upperparts, transitioning to a slightly paler brown on the underparts. While appearing plain, its distinctive field marks include long, slender, scythe-like wings adapted for sustained flight and a subtly forked tail, often appearing square when closed. Taxonomically, it belon...
Found primarily in tropical and subtropical lowland evergreen forests, the Mossy-nest Swiftlet prefers coastal areas and foothills, utilizing limestone caves and rocky cliffs for colonial nesting.
Exclusively insectivorous, the Mossy-nest Swiftlet feeds on a wide variety of aerial insects, including beetles, flies, termites, and moths, caught on the wing during continuous flight.
Mossy-nest Swiftlets are intensely aerial, spending most of their daylight hours foraging high above the canopy, returning to their dark cave roosts only at night or for nesting. They exhibit remarkable echolocation abilities, emitting short, high-frequency clicks to navigate in complete darkness...
The Mossy-nest Swiftlet is an endemic resident of the Greater Sunda Islands and parts of the Philippines in Southeast Asia. Its core distribution encompasses Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Palawan, with various subspecies exhibiting distinct island populations. On Sumatra, it is widespread, particula...
Least Concern
- Unlike many swiftlet species prized for their pure-saliva nests, the Mossy-nest Swiftlet's nest is predominantly made of moss and lichen. - This swiftlet navigates in pitch-black caves using echolocation, emitting clicks and interpreting the echoes to map its surroundings. - They are remarkably...