Photo: Lip Kee from Singapore, Republic of Singapore / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Glossy Swiftlet
Collocalia esculenta
Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) — 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 Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 6.3 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 esculenta
Where it lives
Sulawesi to New Guinea and satellites and Solomon Is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 6.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Glossy 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 Glossy Swiftlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) is a member of the Apodidae family, within the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR, AU Sulawesi to New Guinea and satellites and Solomon Is.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6.3 g, with a wing length of about 10 cm and a tail of around 4.1 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 2.8 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Glossy Swiftlet?
The Glossy Swiftlet is a very small bird that weighs around 6.3 g.
Where does the Glossy Swiftlet live?
The Glossy Swiftlet is found across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR, AU Sulawesi to New Guinea and satellites and Solomon Is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Glossy Swiftlet belong to?
The Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Glossy Swiftlet eat?
The Glossy Swiftlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Glossy Swiftlet migrate?
The Glossy Swiftlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Glossy 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.
How large is the Glossy Swiftlet's range?
The Glossy Swiftlet has a mapped global range of about 2.8 million 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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