About the Australian Swiftlet
The Australian swiftlet is a small bird belonging to the genus Aerodramus in the swift family, Apodidae. It is endemic to Queensland in north-eastern Australia. It was formerly included in the white-rumped swiftlet but is now commonly treated as a separate species. It has two subspecies which are occasionally regarded as two separate species: A. t. terraereginae and A. t. chillagoensis.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
It is 11–12 centimetres (4.3–4.7 in) long with a wing length of 107–118.2 millimetres (4.21–4.65 in) and a weight of 10.5–12.5 grams (0.37–0.44 oz). The upperparts are dark grey-brown while the underparts are a uniform greyish. There are pale feathers on the forehead and lores. The rump is normally pale greyish but can occasionally be darker. The tail is slightly forked. The form chillagoensis is smaller and paler with a weight of around 9.39 grams (0.33 oz). It has a high-pitched flight call. In its breeding caves, it utters a metallic clicking call, used for echolocation.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Australian Swiftlet lives
When to see the Australian Swiftlet
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Indian SwiftletAerodramus unicolorThe Indian Swiftlet or Indian Edible-Nest Swiftlet is a small swift.
Himalayan SwiftletAerodramus brevirostrisThis 13–14 cm long swiftlet has swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang.
Uniform SwiftletAerodramus vanikorensisThe uniform swiftlet is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail.
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