Swifts (Apodidae)
Mottled Swift (Tachymarptis aequatorialis) - HBW 5, p. 451
French: Martinet marbré
German: Schuppensegler
Spanish: Vencejo Ecuatorial
Taxonomy: Cypselus aequatorialis von Müller, 1851, Ethiopia.
Genus Tachymarptis has commonly been merged into Apus, but nowadays increasingly separated; differs in feather lice, foot structure of nestling, large size and tendency towards white underparts. It has been suggested that resemblance to Apus bradfieldi may be more than superficial, hinting at closer alliance between these forms, which were formerly considered conspecific. Races proposed for birds from W slope Mt Ruwenzori (schubotzi) and NW Cameroon (bamendae) not distinct from nominate race and included within it. Includes "Apus reichenowi".. View all taxonomy...
Genus Tachymarptis has commonly been merged into Apus, but nowadays increasingly separated; differs in feather lice, foot structure of nestling, large size and tendency towards white underparts. It has been suggested that resemblance to Apus bradfieldi may be more than superficial, hinting at closer alliance between these forms, which were formerly considered conspecific. Races proposed for birds from W slope Mt Ruwenzori (schubotzi) and NW Cameroon (bamendae) not distinct from nominate race and included within it. Includes "Apus reichenowi". Four subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- lowei (Bannerman, 1920) - Sierra Leone to Nigeria.
- furensis (Lynes, 1920) - Darfur (W Sudan).
- aequatorialis (von Müller, 1851) - Eritrea and Ethiopia S to Mozambique and E Zimbabwe; also WC Angola and NW Cameroon (Bamenda).
- gelidus (Brooke, 1967) - SW Zimbabwe.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
- No videos available yet
-
Several seen in evening congragations at the foot of Mount Meru.
Locality Arusha Town, Arusha Region, Tanzania
M P Goodey 1 January 2009 44 weeks ago 3.3
- No sound recordings available yet
Email this page