Glossy Swiftlet vs Grey-rumped Swiftlet

Glossy Swiftlet

Collocalia esculenta

Tiny6 gForest

This bird is shiny black-blue above, including its rump; sometimes looks black and hooded. Chest black; belly to flanks white with fine black speckles at margins. Wing tips are rounded; underwing is black. Tail rounded with shallow notch and tiny white panels. It is so similar to the white-rumped swiftlet that both its upperparts and underparts must be seen to distinguish between the two. It is 9 to 11.5 cm (3.5 to 4.5 in) in length. Its voice is a soft twittering.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomas Brown · CC BY 2.0

Grey-rumped Swiftlet

Collocalia marginata

6 gForest

The grey-rumped swiftlet is 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in) in length with a square tail. The back and upper surface of the wings are dull dark blue with a moderate green gloss. The rump is paler due to the white margins of feathers forming the uppertail coverts. The throat and upper breast are grey with fine white scalloping merging into larger greyish chevrons over the lower breast and flanks, becoming white over the belly. There is sometimes a tuft of small feathers on the hallux, the rear facing toe.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Glossy Swiftlet and Grey-rumped Swiftlet.