Seychelles salangans
| Seychelles salangans | ||||||||||||
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Postage stamp with the Seychelles Saline |
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| Aerodramus elaphrus | ||||||||||||
| ( Oberholser , 1906) |
The Seychelles Salangan ( Aerodramus elaphrus ) is a bird of the genus Aerodramus in the family of the sailors (Apodidae). It occurs only on the islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean .
features
The Seychelles salangan is a medium-sized salangan with a length of 10-12 cm, a wingspan of 28 cm and a weight of approx. 10 g. The top is dark gray-brown and a little lighter on the trunk. The underside is light gray-brown, darkest on the underside of the tail. The beak and legs are black. The tail is dark and slightly notched. The wings are long, narrow but less pointed than those of comparable salangan species.
The birds communicate with a quiet chirping in flight when they are looking for food. They also have a deeper metallic click for echolocation in caves.
Systematics
The Seychelles salangan is closely related to the smaller, lighter Mauritian salangan ( Aerodramus francicus ) from Mauritius and Réunion and was considered a subspecies in the past . The two species are believed to have been separated around 500,000 years ago.
Spread and behavior
The Seychelles salangan breeds on the islands of Mahé , Praslin and La Digue . There used to be colonies on Félicité and sightings on Aride . The species often flies over freshwater and through valleys, but roams over all types of terrain. Food is flying insects , especially flying ants .
Breeding takes place throughout the year in a few colonies in caves on the islands. The nest is clip-shaped and is made up of strips of lichen and casuarina needles with saliva . A single white egg is incubated for 25 to 30 days. The young are fed by both parents and fledged after 42 days.
Because of the very small total population (2,500 to 3,000 birds) and the narrowly limited distribution area, the species was classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Insecticides and introduced predators such as barn owls and cats also pose a threat .
Individual evidence
- ^ BirdLife International: Species factsheet: Collocalia elaphra. http://www.birdlife.org 2007.
literature
- BirdLife International: Species factsheet: Collocalia elaphra. http://www.birdlife.org 2007.
- Phil Chantler, Gerald Driessens: Swifts: a Guide to the Swifts and Treeswifts of the World , 2nd ed., Pica Press, East Sussex 2000.
- Adrian Skerrett , Ian Bullock, Tony Disley: Birds of Seychelles , Christopher Helm, London 2001.
Web links
Wikispecies: Aerodramus elaphrus - species directory