Tachymarptis aequatorialis
The Mottled Swift, *Tachymarptis aequatorialis*, is a striking aerial master belonging to the family Apodidae, renowned for its almost continuous flight. This large swift measures approximately 20-22 cm (8-9 inches) in length with a formidable wingspan nearing 50-55 cm (20-22 inches). Its plumage is predominantly dark sooty-brown to black, conspicuously marked with broad, pale buffy-white mottling on its underparts, a distinctive field mark that gives it its common name. A prominent pale, oft...
Found primarily in mountainous regions, often in association with steep cliffs, gorges, and rocky outcrops, typically at higher elevations. It also forages over adjacent open country, savannas, and woodlands.
Exclusively insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of flying insects caught expertly in mid-air through continuous aerial hawking.
Mottled Swifts are highly diurnal, spending nearly their entire day soaring and foraging high above the landscape, only returning to roost or nest sites in the evening. Their foraging strategy is classic aerial hawking, capturing a diverse array of flying insects on the wing with their wide gape....
The Mottled Swift boasts a wide, though somewhat disjunct, distribution across sub-Saharan Africa. Its breeding range extends from Sierra Leone and Guinea in West Africa, across the Sahelian belt to Sudan and Ethiopia in the east, and south through the Rift Valley countries to Angola, Zambia, Zim...
Least Concern
- The Mottled Swift is capable of entering a state of torpor, a temporary physiological inactivity, during periods of cold weather or food scarcity to conserve energy. - Like most swifts, it can likely sleep while flying, with one half of its brain resting at a time, making it one of the most aer...