The uniform swiftlet, (''Aerodramus vanikorensis''), also known as the Vanikoro swiftlet or lowland swiftlet, is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with somewhat paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. This species is widespread from the Philippines through Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia. It forages for flying insects primarily in lowland forests and open areas. It nests in caves where it uses its sense of Animal echolocation, echolocation, rare in birds, to navigate.

Taxonomy

The uniform swift was species description, formally described in 1832 by the French naturalists Jean René Constant Quoy, Jean Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard, Joseph Gaimard from a specimen collected on the island of Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands. They coined the binomial name ''Hirundo vanikorensis''. This swiftlet is now placed in the genus ''Aerodramus'' that was introduced in 1906 by Harry C. Oberholser. Twelve subspecies are recognised: * ''A. v. aenigma'' (Joseph Harvey Riley, Riley, 1918) – north, central, southeast Sulawesi, Banggai Islands Regency, Banggai Islands and Sula Islands Regency, Sula Islands is. (east of Sulawesi) * ''A. v. heinrichi'' (Erwin Stresemann, Stresemann, 1932) – south Sulawesi * ''A. v. moluccarum'' (Stresemann, 1914) – central, south Maluku Islands, Moluccas * ''A. v. waigeuensis'' (Stresemann & Paludan, 1932) – north Maluku Islands, Moluccas and Raja Ampat Islands (northwest of New Guinea) * ''A. v. steini'' (Stresemann & Paludan, 1932) – Numfor and Biak (Cenderawasih Bay, Geelvink Bay islands, northwest New Guinea) * ''A. v. yorki'' (Gregory Mathews, Mathews, 1916) – Aru Islands Regency, Aru Islands (southwest of New Guinea), Yapen (Cenderawasih Bay, Geelvink Bay islands, northwest New Guinea) and New Guinea * ''A. v. tagulae'' (Carl Eduard Hellmayr, Mayr, 1937) – D'Entrecasteaux Islands, D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago, Louisiade Archipelago, Trobriand Islands and Woodlark Island (east of southeast New Guinea) * ''A. v. coultasi'' (Mayr, 1937) – Admiralty Islands and St Matthias Islands (northwest, central north Bismarck Archipelago) * ''A. v. pallens'' (Finn Salomonsen, Salomonsen, 1983) – New Hanover Island (=New Hanover), New Ireland (island), New Ireland and Dyaul Island, Dyaul (=Djaul) and New Britain (east Bismarck Archipelago) * ''A. v. lihirensis'' (Mayr, 1937) – islands northeast of New Ireland (island), New Ireland (northeast Bismarck Archipelago) * ''A. v. lugubris'' (Salomonsen, 1983) – Buka Island, Buka to Rennell Island and Makira (Solomon Islands except Tetepare Island, Tetepare) * ''A. v. vanikorensis'' (Jean René Constant Quoy, Quoy & Joseph Paul Gaimard, Gaimard, 1832) – Temotu Province, Temotu (=Santa Cruz Islands, southeast Solomon Islands) and Vanuatu

Description

The uniform swiftlet is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. It is about 13 cm long with a wingspan averaging around 27 cm. It weighs about 11 grams. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. It is similar to, and most likely to be confused with, the white-rumped swiftlet or mountain swiftlet.

Distribution and habitat

This species is widespread from the Philippines through Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia. It has been recorded as a rare vagrant to Australia, from Cape York Peninsula and islands in Torres Strait. The uniform swiftlet forages over lowland forests and open areas. It roosts in caves and sinkholes, mostly in limestone areas. The caves may be as little as long but are usually much larger. Sometimes man-made tunnels or structures are used.

Behaviour

Food and feeding

This species feeds on flying insects, especially ants.

Breeding

This species nests Bird colony, colonially in caves where it uses Animal echolocation, echolocation to navigate. The nest is a shallow cup of mossy material and saliva, usually attached to a vertical surface of a cave wall in the completely dark zone. On Guam, Neckeropsis lepiniana, is used as the nesting material and in Hawaii, a liverwort (''Herberta spp.'') is used. One or two white eggs form the clutch. The incubation period is at least twelve days and the young may take thirty-five days to fledge.

Status

The uniform swiftlet has a very large range and that they are locally common and in some places abundant within that range. The population has not been quantified but is believed to be stable. The birds face no particular threats, and as a result, the IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern".

References

* Beehler, Bruce M.; & Finch, Brian W. (1985). ''Species Checklist of the Birds of New Guinea''. RAOU Monograph No.1. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union: Melbourne. * Beehler, Bruce M.; Pratt, Thane K.; & Zimmerman, Dale A. (1986). ''Birds of New Guinea''. Wau Ecology Handbook No.9. Princeton University Press. * Coates, Brian J. (1985). ''The Birds of Papua New Guinea. Volume 1: Non-Passerines''. Dover Publications: Alderley, Queensland. * Higgins, P.J. (ed). (1999). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1273359 Aerodramus, uniform swiftlet Birds of the Maluku Islands Birds of Melanesia Birds of the Philippines Birds of Sulawesi Birds described in 1830, uniform swiftlet Taxa named by Jean René Constant Quoy Taxa named by Joseph Paul Gaimard