Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cave Swiftlet
Collocalia linchi
Cave Swiftlet (Collocalia linchi) — Swifts of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cave Swiftlet (Collocalia linchi) is a member of the Apodidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 5.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Collocalia
- Species linchi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 5.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cave Swiftlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Cave Swiftlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cave Swiftlet (Collocalia linchi) is a species of bird in the Apodidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok (w Lesser Sundas).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 5.9 g, with a wing length of about 9.4 cm and a tail of around 3.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 316,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cave Swiftlet?
The Cave Swiftlet is a very small bird that weighs around 5.9 g.
Where does the Cave Swiftlet live?
The Cave Swiftlet is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok (w Lesser Sundas), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Cave Swiftlet belong to?
The Cave Swiftlet (Collocalia linchi) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Cave Swiftlet eat?
The Cave Swiftlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cave Swiftlet migrate?
The Cave Swiftlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cave Swiftlet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Cave Swiftlet make?
1 real field recording of the Cave Swiftlet — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Cave Swiftlet's range?
The Cave Swiftlet has a mapped global range of about 316,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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