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Swifts (Apodidae)

Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) - HBW 5, p. 425

French: Salangane soyeuse German: Glanzkopfsalangane Spanish: Salangana Lustrosa
Other common names: White-bellied Swiftlet; Beavan’s Swiftlet (affinis); Philippine(!)/Grey-rumped(!) Swiftlet (marginata)

Taxonomy: Hirundo esculenta Linnaeus, 1758, China; error = Ambon.
May be conspecific with C. linchi; some authors place race natalis in C. linchi. Philippine birds commonly split off as a separate allospecies, C. marginata, largely on basis of grey rump. Much of variation appears to be clinal. Birds from Halmahera sometimes separated as race nubila, but this is best considered a synonym of spilura. Populations on Salayar I and in Tanimbar Is are not currently assigned to any given subspecies; birds from Palawan and Calauit, tentatively placed in marginata, may belong to an undescribed race. First six races li.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Hirundo esculenta Linnaeus, 1758, China; error = Ambon.
May be conspecific with C. linchi; some authors place race natalis in C. linchi. Philippine birds commonly split off as a separate allospecies, C. marginata, largely on basis of grey rump. Much of variation appears to be clinal. Birds from Halmahera sometimes separated as race nubila, but this is best considered a synonym of spilura. Populations on Salayar I and in Tanimbar Is are not currently assigned to any given subspecies; birds from Palawan and Calauit, tentatively placed in marginata, may belong to an undescribed race. First six races listed have been considered to form a distinctive western subgroup. Thirty-two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • affinis Beavan, 1867 - Andaman and Nicobar Is.
  • elachyptera Oberholser, 1906 - Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar).
  • cyanoptila Oberholser, 1906 - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and most of its satellites, and lowland Borneo.

     See all 32 subspecies
  • affinis Beavan, 1867 - Andaman and Nicobar Is.
  • elachyptera Oberholser, 1906 - Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar).
  • cyanoptila Oberholser, 1906 - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and most of its satellites, and lowland Borneo.
  • vanderbilti Meyer de Schauensee & Ripley, 1941 - Nias I (off W Sumatra).
  • oberholseri Stresemann, 1912 - Batu Is and Mentawai Is (off W Sumatra).
  • natalis Lister, 1889 - Christmas I (Indian Ocean).
  • septentrionalis Mayr, 1945 - Babuyan, Calayan and N Camiguin Is (N Philippines).
  • isonota Oberholser, 1906 - N Luzon (N Philippines).
  • marginata Salvadori, 1882 - C Luzon S to Palawan and Bohol (W & N Philippines).
  • bagobo Hachisuka, 1930 - Mindoro, Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago (S Philippines).
  • spilura G. R. Gray, 1866 - N Moluccas.
  • manadensis Salomonsen, 1983 - N Sulawesi to Sangihe and Talaud Is.
  • esculenta (Linnaeus, 1758) - C & S Sulawesi through Banggai and Sula Is to C & S Moluccas.
  • minuta Stresemann, 1925 - Tanahjampea I and Kalao I, in N Flores Sea.
  • sumbawae Stresemann, 1925 - Sumbawa, Sumba and Flores (W Lesser Sundas).
  • perneglecta Mayr, 1944 - Sawu, Alor, Wetar, Kisar, Romang and Damar (E Lesser Sundas).
  • neglecta G. R. Gray, 1866 - Dao, Roti, Semau and Timor (S Lesser Sundas).
  • amethystina Salomonsen, 1983 - Waigeo I (off NW New Guinea).
  • erwini Collin & Hartert, 1927 - W New Guinea, c. 1600 m and above.
  • numforensis Salomonsen, 1983 - Numfor I (in Geelvink Bay, W New Guinea).
  • nitens Ogilvie-Grant, 1914 - lowland New Guinea, occasionally to 2500 m, and satellite islands.
  • misimae Salomonsen, 1983 - Louisiade Archipelago.
  • stresemanni Rothschild & Hartert, 1914 - Admiralty Is (Manus, Rambutyo, Nauna, Los Negros).
  • kalili Salomonsen, 1983 - New Hanover, New Ireland and nearby Djaul I (C Bismarck Archipelago).
  • spilogaster Salomonsen, 1983 - Tabar Is (Tatau) and Lihir Group (NE Bismarck Archipelago).
  • hypogrammica Salomonsen, 1983 - Green Is including Nissan (E Bismarck Archipelago).
  • tametamele Stresemann, 1921 - New Britain and nearby Witu Is, and Bougainville I (NW Solomons).
  • becki Mayr, 1931 - C & NE Solomons (including Malaita).
  • makirensis Mayr, 1931 - San Cristobal I (SE Solomons).
  • desiderata Mayr, 1931 - Rennell I (S Solomons).
  • uropygialis G. R. Gray, 1866 - Santa Cruz Is and Vanuatu (including Torres Is and Banks Is).
  • albidior Salomonsen, 1983 - Loyalty Is and New Caledonia.

Photos

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