From Opus

Cypsiurus balasiensis

[edit] Identification

A small swift with extremly long and narrow wings.

• Body brownish, darkest on crown, rump slightly paler
• Wings thin and very long
• Long and narrow tail-streamers (often held folded)
• Juveniles are paler and have slightly shorter tail-streamers

[edit] Distribution

Southeast Asia: Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Common and locally abundant. Not globally threatened.

[edit] Taxonomy

Four subspecies recognized^[1]

• C.b. balasiensis on the Indian Subcontinent west of Assam
• C.b. infumatus from Assam to Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
• C.b. bartelsorum on Java and Bali
• C.b. pallidor on the Philippines

Forms a superspecis with the African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus and was also formerly lumped with this species.

[edit] Habitat

Occurs wherever fan and betelnut palms are present. Cities, towns, cultivated area, rarer in forested areas. Up to 1500m.

[edit] Behaviour

Resident.

[edit] Diet

Feeds on insects, eg. flying ants, termites and beetles. Highly gregarious, often found in foraging in mixed flocks with Little Swifts.

[edit] Breeding

Breeds all year round with local peaks. Nest built in palm fronds, sometimes in thatched roofs, usually small groups breeding together. The nest is a tiny half-cup, attached on three sides to palm leaves. The two eggs are not glued to nest as in African Palm Swift.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages