Swifts (Apodidae)
Alexander's Swift (Apus alexandri) - HBW 5, p. 452
French: Martinet du Cap-Vert
German: Alexandersegler
Spanish: Vencejo de Cabo Verde
Other common names: Cape Verde Swift
Taxonomy: Apus unicolor alexandri Hartert, 1901, São Nicolau, Cape Verde Islands.
Affinities unclear. Formerly considered conspecific with A. unicolor; recently suggested to be more closely related to A. pallidus, A. barbatus or A. niansae, although these proposals appear to be based mainly on speculation. Only known eggs, described in 1898, were considered unique amongst Apodiformes in being speckled reddish brown; a second clutch reported in 1986, however, consisted of pure white eggs, as in other Apodiformes, suggesting that the first set were probably misidentified; implications drawn from the first eggs have greatly confused the issue of re.. View all taxonomy...
Affinities unclear. Formerly considered conspecific with A. unicolor; recently suggested to be more closely related to A. pallidus, A. barbatus or A. niansae, although these proposals appear to be based mainly on speculation. Only known eggs, described in 1898, were considered unique amongst Apodiformes in being speckled reddish brown; a second clutch reported in 1986, however, consisted of pure white eggs, as in other Apodiformes, suggesting that the first set were probably misidentified; implications drawn from the first eggs have greatly confused the issue of relationships. Monotypic.
Distribution: Cape Verde Is, where occurs throughout (except Santa Luzia), including small islet of Raso, but thought to breed only on Santiago, Fogo, Brava, Santo Antão and São Nicolau.
- Least Concern
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