Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Big swiftlet
- Scientific name: Black Nest Swiftlet, Aerodramus maximus
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Family and Genus: Apotheales, Apodidae, Swiftopteris
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 14 centimeters
- Weight: 14-20g
- Lifespan: Approximately 15 years
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
The Great Swiftlet is distributed in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is also found in China.
The natural habitat is subtropical or tropical humid lowland and mountain forests.
Appearance
The greater swiftlet has brown to black upperparts with a golden sheen, and grayish-white or pure white underparts. Its beak is slender and curved downwards; its wings are long and pointed; its legs are short and weak, with all four toes pointing forward, unsuitable for walking or gripping branches, only helpful for clinging to vertical rocks. Its tarsi are completely or almost completely bare, and the shafts of its tail feathers are not bare. Generally, they are agile small birds, smaller and lighter than barn swallows, with males and females resembling each other.
It is very similar to the short-billed swiftlet, but is easily distinguishable in the wild. The great swiftlet has a tail that is rarely forked and is almost flat; its wings are wider; and its tarsi are covered with dense feathers, while the short-billed swiftlet has sparse feathers.
Detailed introduction
The Great Swiftlet (scientific name Aerodramus maximus) is an animal belonging to the genus Aerodramus in the family Apodidae.
The Great Swiftlet can navigate swiftly through dark caves using echolocation, much like a bat. Its sonar, audible to the human ear, consists of clicking sounds at frequencies between 1500 and 5500 Hz, occurring approximately six times per second. The Great Swiftlet's nest is a small, support-like structure, sometimes with some ferns and bark, and may be attached to trees or cliffs, but is usually built in caves or coastal caves. A single flock can number up to one million.
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