Uniform Swiftlet
Aerodramus vanikorensis
The Uniform Swiftlet (Aerodramus vanikorensis) is a rare swift found in 5 countries, weighing about 11 g. The uniform swiftlet, also known as the Vanikoro swiftlet or lowland swiftlet, is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail.
About the Uniform Swiftlet
The uniform swiftlet, also known as the Vanikoro swiftlet or lowland swiftlet, is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with somewhat paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. This species is widespread from the Philippines through Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia. It forages for flying insects primarily in lowland forests and open areas. It nests in caves where it uses its sense of echolocation, rare in birds, to navigate.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The uniform swiftlet is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. It is about 13 cm long with a wingspan averaging around 27 cm. It weighs about 11 grams. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. It is similar to, and most likely to be confused with, the white-rumped swiftlet or mountain swiftlet.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Australia.
When to see it
Best months: June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in July. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Uniform Swiftlet?
- The uniform swiftlet is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Uniform Swiftlet?
- The Uniform Swiftlet is a tiny sized bird weighing about 11 g.
- Where can you see a Uniform Swiftlet?
- The Uniform Swiftlet occurs in 5 countries, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
- What birds look similar to a Uniform Swiftlet?
- The Uniform Swiftlet is most easily confused with the White-rumped Swiftlet, the Ameline Swiftlet and the Mascarene Swiftlet.
Learn the Uniform Swiftlet for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.