Mariana swiftlet

Mariana swiftlet
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Apodidae
Genus:	Aerodramus
Species:	A. bartschi
Binomial name
Aerodramus bartschi (Mearns, 1909)
Synonyms
Collocalia bartschi

The Mariana swiftlet or Guam swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi) is a species of

Taxonomy

It was formerly lumped with the island swiftlet (Aerodramus inquietus).^[1]

Description

The swiftlet is about 11 centimetres (4.3 in) in length with a dark grey-brown head and upperparts. Its throat and upper breast are grey-white with the rest of the underparts darker grey. The tail has a shallow fork and the plumage lacks gloss.^[1]

Distribution and habitat

The swiftlet is found in

In its natural range the swiftlet builds shallow nests high on the interior walls and ceilings of limestone caves, including sites in zones of complete darkness, in colonies of a few to several hundred birds. A single egg constitutes a clutch, but the birds may breed more than once a year. The swiftlets utter twittering and chirping sounds as well as the echolocation clicks used to navigate inside the nesting and roosting caves. Most birds in a colony leave their cave at dawn to forage, returning at sunset to roost. They are aerial feeders that capture small insects in flight over forest and other vegetation.^[1][2]

Status and conservation

The Mariana swiftlet is considered to be