Family Swifts (Apodidae)
Least Concern
Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)
Taxonomy
French: Martinet à ventre blanc German: Alpensegler Spanish: Vencejo real
Taxonomy:
Hirundo Melba
Linnaeus
, 1758,Gibraltar
.
Subspecies and Distribution
T. m. melba
(Linnaeus, 1758) – S Europe (E from Iberia) and N Morocco E through Asia Minor to NW Iran; winters in W, C & E Africa.
T. m. tuneti
(Tschusi, 1904) – C & E Morocco E to Libya and through Middle East and Iran (except NW) to SE Kazakhstan and W Pakistan; winters in W & E Africa.
T. m. archeri
(E. J. O. Hartert, 1928) – from Dead Sea depression (Israel–Jordan) S to SW Arabia and Somalia.
T. m. maximus
(Ogilvie-Grant, 1907) – Mt Rwenzori (Uganda–DRCongo).
T. m. africanus
(Temminck, 1815) – E & S Africa and SW Angola; S breeders winter in E Africa.
T. m. marjoriae
(Bradfield, 1935) – Namibia and adjacent W South Africa (NW Northern Cape).
T. m. willsi
(E. J. O. Hartert, 1896) – Madagascar.
T. m. nubifugus
(Koelz, 1954) – Himalayas; winters in C India.
T. m. dorabtatai
(Abdulali, 1965) – W peninsular India.
T. m. bakeri
(E. J. O. Hartert, 1928) – Sri Lanka.
Descriptive notes
20–22 cm; 76–120 g (nominate), 67–87 g (africanus), 95–110 g (tuneti), 128 g (maximus); wingspan 54–60 cm. Very large... read more
Voice
Most common call is a loud, metallic-sounding trilling phrase lasting c. 2–4 seconds, accelerating... read more
Habitat
A polytypic species occurring over a wide range of habitats and foraging over vast areas. In W... read more
Food and feeding
Swiss food balls for nestlings averaged 219 prey items, ranging from 11 to 626, mean weight 2·53 g, mainly containing Hemiptera,... read more
Breeding
Season Mar–Jun, Israel; laying Morocco Apr–May, Samarkand from early May, C Europe mid/late May or in bad weather as late... read more
Movements
Nominate race, tuneti, nubifuga and S African populations of africanus... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Locally fairly common to common throughout much of range. Locally abundant in some areas, e.g. Turkey, C Asian republics and parts of... read more
Subspecies name dorabtatai often misspelt dorobtatai. Proposed race striatus (from Mt Kenya) is synonymous with africanus. Supposed presence of breeding individuals of uncertain race in C Mali (Bandiagara Escarpment) has been questioned; this population is believed more likely to be referable to T. aequatorialis#R. Ten subspecies currently recognized.