Aerodramus elaphrus
The Seychelles Swiftlet (Aerodramus elaphrus) is a captivating small, dark swift endemic to the Seychelles archipelago, offering a glimpse into specialized island evolution. Measuring approximately 10-12 cm (4-4.7 inches) in length with a wingspan around 25-28 cm (10-11 inches), it exhibits a streamlined body, long, narrow wings, and a short, shallowly forked tail. Its plumage is uniformly sooty-brown to blackish, slightly paler on the underparts, lacking any distinctive rump patch, making it...
Resident in lowland and montane humid forests, favoring areas near its essential cave roosting and nesting sites, generally below 900 meters elevation.
Feeds exclusively on small, flying insects, including Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera, captured on the wing through aerial hawking.
Seychelles Swiftlets are strictly diurnal, spending daylight hours foraging high in the sky and returning to their communal cave roosts at dusk, navigating with echolocation in the complete darkness. They are masterful aerial insectivores, continuously hawking small flying insects in rapid, agile...
The Seychelles Swiftlet is entirely restricted to the Seychelles archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, making it a unique island endemic. Its primary breeding and resident populations are found on the larger granitic islands, particularly Mahé, Silhouette, Praslin, and La Digue. Historically, ...
Vulnerable
- The Seychelles Swiftlet is one of the few bird species globally capable of echolocation, emitting rapid clicks to navigate in dark caves. - It is strictly endemic to the Seychelles archipelago, found only on a handful of islands. - Its nests are largely built from its own salivary secretions, w...