Swifts (Apodidae)

Edible-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) - HBW 5, p. 434

French: Salangane à nid blanc German: Weißnestsalangane Spanish: Salangana Nidoblanco
Other common names: Grey-rumped(!)/Hume’s/White-nest Swiftlet; Andaman Grey-rumped Swiftlet (inexpectatus); German’s/Oustalet’s Swiftlet (germani); Brown-rumped Swiftlet(!) (vestitus); Thunberg’s Swiftlet (fuciphagus)

Taxonomy: Hirundo Fuciphaga Thunberg, 1812, Java.
Genus often merged into Collocalia. In past, was at various times considered conspecific with many other swiftlet taxa, e.g. A. francicus and A. unicolor. Race germani sometimes considered a distinct species, often including amechanus. Races dammermani and micans often lumped within nominate, and still very poorly known. Proposed race bartelsi is synonym of nominate. A. salangana aerophilus often placed in present species. A. vanikorensis amelis has been linked with present species in a superspecies; race perplexus h.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Hirundo Fuciphaga Thunberg, 1812, Java.
Genus often merged into Collocalia. In past, was at various times considered conspecific with many other swiftlet taxa, e.g. A. francicus and A. unicolor. Race germani sometimes considered a distinct species, often including amechanus. Races dammermani and micans often lumped within nominate, and still very poorly known. Proposed race bartelsi is synonym of nominate. A. salangana aerophilus often placed in present species. A. vanikorensis amelis has been linked with present species in a superspecies; race perplexus has been associated with amelis. Eight subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • inexpectatus (Hume, 1873) - Andaman and Nicobar Is.
  • amechanus (Oberholser, 1912) - Anambas Is (off SE Malay Peninsula).
  • germani (Oustalet, 1878) - coastline from W Hainan to Malay Peninsula, including Mergui Archipelago (off S Myanmar); coastal N Borneo and S Philippines (Palawan to Panay).

     See all 8 subspecies
  • inexpectatus (Hume, 1873) - Andaman and Nicobar Is.
  • amechanus (Oberholser, 1912) - Anambas Is (off SE Malay Peninsula).
  • germani (Oustalet, 1878) - coastline from W Hainan to Malay Peninsula, including Mergui Archipelago (off S Myanmar); coastal N Borneo and S Philippines (Palawan to Panay).
  • vestitus (Lesson, 1843) - Sumatra, Belitung and Borneo.
  • perplexus (Riley, 1927) - Maratua Archipelago (off E Borneo).
  • fuciphagus (Thunberg, 1812) - Java, Kangean Is and Bali to W Lesser Sundas and Tanahjampea.
  • dammermani (Rensch, 1931) - Flores.
  • micans (Stresemann, 1914) - Sumba, Sawu and Timor.
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