From Opus

Hemiprocne comata

Photo by Romy Ocon
Photo taken: Mt. Palay-palay, Cavite, Philippines.

[edit] Identification

With 16cm the smallest of the four Treeswifts.

• Dark bronze body, dark blue wings
• Slightly crested
• Bold white supercilium from forehead to hindnape
• Second parallel white stripe from chin to neck
• Head otherwise glossy black with dark chestnut ear-coverts in male
• Female with blue-green ear-coverts
• Juveniles are finely barred brown, grey, tawny and white and are perfectly camouflaged, looking like a branch

[edit] Distribution

Southeast Asia. Malay Pensinsula, Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines. Still common in most of its range and not globally threatened.

[edit] Taxonomy

Two subspecies recognized:

• H.c. comata on Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and Borneo
• H.c. major on the Philippines

[edit] Habitat

Evergreen forest, locally also found in mature mangroves. From the plains up to ca. 1000m. Tends to prefer original forest.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects. Forages like other Treeswifts from perches. Usually not seen much above canopy height.
Breeds from February to August. Breeds solitary in a half-saucer of saliva with feathers. Lays 1 egg.
Resident. Birds are believed to stay in there breeding territory all year.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages