Fork-tailed Palm Swift

Fork-tailed Palm Swift

Taxobox
name = Fork-tailed Palm Swift
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Apodiformes
familia = Apodidae
genus = "Tachornis"
species = "T. squamata"
binomial = "Tachornis squamata"
binomial_authority = (Cassin, 1853)

The Fork-tailed Palm Swift, "Tachornis squamata", is a resident breeding bird from Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas and Trinidad south to northeastern Peru and Brazil.

This small swift is found locally in marshy habitats, or sometimes open forest, usually near Moriche Palms. It builds a C-shaped nest of feathers, saliva and plant material on the inside of the dead leaf of a Moriche Palm. Three white eggs are laid in the depression of the C, and incubated for 21 days to hatching.

Fork-tailed Palm Swift is a slender, narrow-winged species, 13.2 cm long, with a long forked tail, and weighs 11 g. The call is a buzzed "djjjjjj", like an insect. The nominate western form "T. s. squamata" has black-brown upperparts with a slight greenish gloss. The underparts are a paler brown with a white throat and central underbody. The eastern race "T. s. semota" of Trinidad, the Guianas and central and eastern Brazil is much darker, almost steel-black above and darker brown below. Juveniles are very similar, but have buff fringes to the upperparts and head in fresh plumage.

Despite its shape and association with palms, it is in a different genus to the Asian and African Palm Swifts.

Fork-tailed Palm Swift feeds in low flight on flying insects. It normally stays at less than 10 m above the ground. It normally occurs in small groups of up to 30 birds.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* "Swifts" by Chantler and Driessens, ISBN 1-873403-83-6
*cite book
last = Hilty
first = Steven L
title = Birds of Venezuela
publisher = Christopher Helm
date = 2003
location = London
isbn = 0-7136-6418-5
*cite book
last = ffrench
first = Richard
title = A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago
edition = 2nd edition
year = 1991
publisher = Comstock Publishing
isbn = 0-8014-9792-2

External links

* [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=fork-tailed+palm+swift&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 Fork-tailed Palm Swift photo gallery] VIREO
* [http://flickr.com/photos/marcia_marton/488167927/in/set-72157600338292833/ Photo-High Res] ; [http://flickr.com/photos/marcia_marton/sets/72157600338292833/ Article] flickr.com


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