Photo: Lip Kee Yap from Singapore, Republic of Singapore / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Moustached Treeswift
Hemiprocne mystacea
Moustached Treeswift (Hemiprocne mystacea) — Swifts of Australia & Oceania.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Moustached Treeswift (Hemiprocne mystacea) is a member of the Hemiprocnidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 70.1 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 Hemiprocnidae Treeswifts
- Genus Hemiprocne
- Species mystacea
Where it lives
Northern, central Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 70.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hemiprocnidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Moustached Treeswift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Moustached Treeswift is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Moustached Treeswift (Hemiprocne mystacea) is a member of the Hemiprocnidae family, within the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU n, c Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 70.1 g, with a wing length of about 21.7 cm and a tail of around 17.4 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 806,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Moustached Treeswift?
The Moustached Treeswift is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 70.1 g.
Where does the Moustached Treeswift live?
The Moustached Treeswift is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU n, c Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Moustached Treeswift belong to?
The Moustached Treeswift (Hemiprocne mystacea) belongs to the Hemiprocnidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Moustached Treeswift eat?
The Moustached Treeswift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Moustached Treeswift migrate?
The Moustached Treeswift is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Moustached Treeswift 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 Moustached Treeswift make?
1 real field recording of the Moustached Treeswift — 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 Moustached Treeswift's range?
The Moustached Treeswift has a mapped global range of about 806,000 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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