Aerodramus spodiopygius
The White-rumped Swiftlet (Aerodramus spodiopygius) is a captivating aerial insectivore, typically measuring 11-12 cm in length with a wingspan of approximately 26-28 cm, weighing a mere 8-12 grams. Its plumage is uniformly sooty-brown or grayish-brown, strikingly contrasted by a distinct pale grey or whitish rump patch, which serves as its primary field mark and gives it its common name. Underparts are often slightly paler than the back, but lack any bold white markings. This species belongs...
This swiftlet primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, coastal cliffs, and mountainous regions, nesting and roosting communally in dark caves or rock crevices from sea level up to 3,000 meters.
Exclusively insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of small flying insects, primarily captured during continuous aerial hawking.
White-rumped Swiftlets are highly gregarious, exhibiting strong colonial behavior, especially when entering or exiting their communal roosting and nesting caves at dawn and dusk. They are diurnal, spending nearly their entire day on the wing, tirelessly foraging for airborne insects. Courtship ty...
The White-rumped Swiftlet boasts an extensive resident range across numerous islands and parts of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Its distribution spans from the Philippines, Borneo, and Sulawesi eastward through Java and Christmas Island. Further east, it inhabits New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelag...
Least Concern
- White-rumped Swiftlets are one of the few bird species globally known to use echolocation for navigating dark environments, similar to bats. - Their nests are often partly or entirely constructed from their hardened saliva, which can be a valuable commodity in some cultures for 'bird's nest sou...