Tree swift
| Tree swift | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crowned Tree Swift ( Hemiprocne coronata ) |
||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||
|
||||||||
| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||
| Hemiprocnidae | ||||||||
| Oberholser , 1906 | ||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||
| Hemiprocne | ||||||||
| Nitzsch , 1829 |
The tree swifts ( Hemiprocne ) form a genus in the family of the same name tree swifts (Hemiprocnidae) within the order of the sailing birds (Apodiformes). This genus includes four species. The Crowned Tree Swift ( Hemiprocne coronata ) is seen by some zoologists as a subspecies of the Crested Tree Swift ( Hemiprocne longipennis ).
Tree swifts inhabit the forests of India and Southeast Asia to Indonesia and Sulawesi . They are sociable birds and live in small groups on clearings, forest edges or along rivers. Characteristic are the deeply forked tail and long hand wings. In contrast to the sailors (Apodidae), their legs are well developed so that they are able to sit on the branches of the trees. As a result, they move forward less quickly and return to their seats at regular intervals after a successful hunt.
Their small trough-shaped nests are built from parts of plants such as tree bark, which are attached to each other and to a branch with saliva. The inside of the nest only offers space for one egg, which is white to bluish in color. When breeding, the adult birds cover the egg with their fluffed breast plumage.
species
- Bearded Tree Swift ( Hemiprocne mystacea )
- Crested Tree Swift ( Hemiprocne longipennis )
- Crowned Tree Swift ( Hemiprocne coronata )
- Tree Swift ( Hemiprocne comata )
literature
- Publisher: Forshaw, Joseph: Encyclopedia of Birds , 1999 - ISBN 3-8289-1557-4
