AVITOPIA - Swifts

Scientific system: Clements et al.

Familia: Apodidae

You can get "Checklist of the Swifts of Planet Earth" as an e-book here.

Cypseloides

Streptoprocne

Mearnsia

Zoonavena

Telacanthura

Rhaphidura

Neafrapus

Chaetura

Hirundapus

Hydrochous

Collocalia

Aerodramus

Schoutedenapus

Apus

Aeronautes

Panyptila

Cypsiurus

Tachornis

The family of Swifts is globally distributed except in the coldest regions. They are small birds, 9 cm to 23 cm long. The wings are long and pointed, the legs and feet are very small and the beak is small with a crooked point and a wide throat. Sails are perfectly adapted to life in the air, and some species are able to spend the night in flight and to mate. They are excellent and fast fliers, on the other hand, many species cannot take off from the ground. The nests of a few species are made entirely of saliva and are considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. Some species of salangan have the exceptional echolocation capability. They use this to orient themselves in underground cave systems, where their nesting sites are.

Cypseloides

     niger - American Black Swift (5)
     lemosi - White-chested Swift (2)
     rothschildi - Rothschild's Swift (1)
     fumigatus - Sooty Swift (1)
     storeri - White-fronted Swift (1)
     cryptus - White-chinned Swift (2)
     cherriei - Spot-fronted Swift (2)
     senex - Great Dusky Swift (1)

Streptoprocne

     rutila - Chestnut-collared Swift (4)
     phelpsi - Tepui Swift (1)
     zonaris - White-collared Swift (3)
     semicollaris - White-naped Swift (2)
     biscutata - Biscutate Swift (2)

Mearnsia

     picina - Philippine Spine-tailed Swift (3)
     novaeguineae - Papuan Spine-tailed Swift (1)

Zoonavena

     grandidieri - Madagascar Spinetail (1)
     thomensis - Sao Tome Spinetail (2)
     sylvatica - White-rumped Spinetail (1)

Telacanthura

     ussheri - Mottled Spinetail (2)
     melanopygia - Black Spinetail (1)

Rhaphidura

     leucopygialis - Silver-rumped Spinetail (1)
     sabini - Sabine's Spinetail (1)

Neafrapus

     cassini - Cassin's Spinetail (2)
     boehmi - Böhm's Spinetail (1)

Chaetura

     pelagica - Chimney Swift (5)
     vauxi - Vaux's Swift (3)
     chapmani - Chapman's Swift (1)
     viridipennis - Mato Grosso Swift (1)
     meridionalis - Ashy-tailed Swift (1)
     brachyura - Short-tailed Swift (2)
     spinicaudus - Band-rumped Swift (1)
     fumosa - Costa Rican Swift (1)
     cinereiventris - Grey-rumped Swift (1)
     egregia - Pale-rumped Swift (1)
     martinica - Lesser Antillean Swift (2)

Hirundapus

     caudacutus - White-throated Needletail (3)
     cochinchinensis - Silver-backed Needletail (1)
     giganteus - Brown-backed Needletail (2)
     celebensis - Purple Needletail (1)

Hydrochous

     gigas - Giant Swiftlet (2)

Collocalia

     troglodytes - Pygmy Swiftlet (2)
     dodgei - Bornean Swiftlet (1)
     natalis - Christmas Island Swiftlet (1)
     linchi - Cave Swiftlet (2)
     affinis - Plume-toed Swiftlet (1)
     marginata - Grey-rumped Swiftlet (1)
     isonota - Ridgetop Swiftlet (1)
     sumbawae - Tenggara Swiftlet (1)
     neglecta - Drab Swiftlet (1)
     esculenta - Glossy Swiftlet (2)
     uropygialis - Satin Swiftlet (1)

Aerodramus

     elaphrus - Seychelles Swiftlet (2)
     francicus - Mascarene Swiftlet (4)
     unicolor - Indian Swiftlet (3)
     sororum - Sulawesi Swiftlet (1)
     infuscatus - Moluccan Swiftlet (1)
     ceramensis - Seram Swiftlet (1)
     mearnsi - Philippine Swiftlet (1)
     hirundinaceus - Mountain Swiftlet (1)
     spodiopygius - White-rumped Swiftlet (1)
     terraereginae - Australian Swiftlet (1)
     brevirostris - Himalayan Swiftlet (1)
     vulcanorum - Volcano Swiftlet (1)
     whiteheadi - Whitehead's Swiftlet (1)
     nuditarsus - Bare-legged Swiftlet (1)
     orientalis - Mayr's Swiftlet (1)
     amelis - Grey Swiftlet (1)
     vanikorensis - Uniform Swiftlet (1)
     salangana - Mossy-nest Swiftlet (1)
     pelewensis - Palau Swiftlet (1)
     bartschi - Mariana Swiftlet (1)
     inquietus - Micronesian Swiftlet (1)
     sawtelli - Atiu Swiftlet (1)
     leucophaeus - Tahiti Swiftlet (1)
     ocistus - Marquesan Swiftlet (1)
     maximus - Black-nest Swiftlet (1)
     fuciphagus - Edible-nest Swiftlet (3)
     germani - Germain's Swiftlet (1)
     papuensis - Three-toed Swiftlet (1)

Schoutedenapus

     myoptilus - Scarce Swift (1)
     schoutedeni - Schouteden's Swift (1)

Apus

     melba - Alpine Swift (3)
     aequatorialis - Mottled Swift (1)
     alexandri - Cape Verde Swift (1)
     apus - Common Swift (15)
     unicolor - Plain Swift (3)
     niansae - Nyanza Swift (1)
     pallidus - Pallid Swift (3)
     barbatus - African Black Swift (1)
     berliozi - Forbes-Watson's Swift (2)
     bradfieldi - Bradfield's Swift (1)
     balstoni - Malagasy Black Swift (1)
     pacificus - Fork-tailed Swift (2)
     salimalii - Salim Ali's Swift (1)
     leuconyx - Blyth's Swift (1)
     cooki - Cook's Swift (1)
     acuticauda - Dark-rumped Swift (1)
     affinis - Little Swift (4)
     nipalensis - House Swift (2)
     horus - Horus Swift (2)
     caffer - White-rumped Swift (3)
     batesi - Bates's Swift (1)

Aeronautes

     saxatalis - White-throated Swift (5)
     montivagus - White-tipped Swift (1)
     andecolus - Andean Swift (1)

Panyptila

     cayennensis - Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (2)
     sanctihieronymi - Great Swallow-tailed Swift (4)

Cypsiurus

     balasiensis - Asian Palm Swift (2)
     parvus - African Palm Swift (4)

Tachornis

     phoenicobia - Antillean Palm Swift (3)
     furcata - Pygmy Palm Swift (1)
     squamata - Neotropical Palm Swift (1)

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