Fast sailors
| Fast sailors | ||||||||||||
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Fast swift ( Hirundapus giganteus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hirundapus giganteus | ||||||||||||
| ( Temminck , 1825) |
The fast swift ( Hirundapus giganteus ) is a 18 to 25 centimeter large species from the bird family of the sailors (Apodidae).
description
The bird has a light brown back plumage, the head, tail and the very long wings are colored dark brown. He wears a black eye ring around his eyes, which turns into white towards the front. The throat is light brown, the beak is black in color.
Distribution and way of life
The species occurs in southern Asia (India, Southeast Asia, Philippines). There she lives in the woods up to an altitude of 1,800 meters. With a speed of up to 300 km / h in flight, it is one of the fastest birds in the world. It feeds on insects, which it catches on the fly.
Brood
During the breeding season, the female builds a nest on the ground in which it lays up to 5 eggs.
Danger
The IUCN lists this species as Least Concern (not endangered).
literature
- Philip Whitfield (ed.): The great world empire of the animals. Planet Media AG, Zug 1992, ISBN 3-8247-8614-1 , pp. 276-277 (German translation from English).
Web links
- Hirundapus giganteus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2013.