Brunei Darussalam, Christmas Island, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines (B), Singapore (B), Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste (B) (NB), Vanuatu.
Widespread from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, south to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, north to Philippnies and east through Borneo and Wallacea to New Guinea, Solomon Islands to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Christmas Island. Vagrant to north-east Queenland.
Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) [XC267844]
by Todd Mark from Keki Lodge area, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea (flight call)
Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) [XC170226]
by Todd Mark from Lakamala, Limbin Rd., New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea (flight call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Breeds on Christmas Island (early September - late March) and possibly in Queensland.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Nest
Hemispherical cup-shaped, composed of pale-green lichen, interwoven with dried fibres of Sago Palm, cemented with saliva, lined with Sago Palm, attached to the wall of a cave.
Eggs (Guide)
2; thin-shelled, faintly glossy, white; rounded; 15.5 - 16 x 10 mm. Incubation: about 22 - 25 days; by both sexes.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 40 - 45 days.
Subspecies
May be conspecific with Cave Swiftlet (Collocalia linchi). Some authors place subspecies natalis in Cave Swiftlet (Collocalia linchi).
Birds from Halmahera sometimes separated as subspecies nubila, but this is best considered a synonym of spilura. Populations on Salayar I and in Tanimbar Is are not currently assigned to any given subspecies; birds from Palawan and Calauit, tentatively placed in marginata, may belong to an undescribed subspecies.
The following 34 subspecies are recognised:
affinis Beavan, 1867 - Andaman and Nicobar Is. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis).
elachyptera Oberholser, 1906 - Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis).
cyanoptila Oberholser, 1906 - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and most of its satellites, and lowland Borneo. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Bornean Swiftlet (Collocalia dodgei). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis).
vanderbilti Meyer de Schauensee and Ripley, 1941 - Nias I (off western Sumatra). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis).
oberholseri Stresemann, 1912 - Batu Is and Mentawai Is (off western Sumatra). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis).
natalis Lister, 1889 - Christmas I (Indian Ocean). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Christmas Island Swiftlet (Collocalia natalis).
septentrionalis Mayr, 1945 - Babuyan, Calayan and northern Camiguin Is (northern Philippines). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Grey-rumped Swiftlet (Collocalia marginata).
isonota Oberholser, 1906 - Northern Luzon (northern Philippines). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Ridgetop Swiftlet (Collocalia isonota). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Ridgetop Swiftlet (Collocalia isonota).
marginata Salvadori, 1882 - Philippine Is. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Grey-rumped Swiftlet (Collocalia marginata).
bagobo Hachisuka, 1930 - Mindoro, Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago (southern Philippines). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Ridgetop Swiftlet (Collocalia isonota).
spilura Gray, GR, 1866 - Northern Moluccas.
manadensis Salomonsen, 1983 - Northern Sulawesi to Sangihe and Talaud Is.
esculenta (Linnaeus, 1758) - Central and southern Sulawesi through Banggai and Sula Is to central and southern Moluccas.
minuta Stresemann, 1925 - Tanahjampea I and Kalao I, in northern Flores Sea.
sumbawae Stresemann, 1925 - Sumbawa, Sumba and Flores (western Lesser Sundas). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Tenggara Swiftlet (Collocalia sumbawae). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Tenggara Swiftlet (Collocalia sumbawae).
perneglecta Mayr, 1944 - Sawu, Alor, Wetar, Kisar, Romang and Damar (eastern Lesser Sundas). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Drab Swiftlet (Collocalia neglecta).
neglecta G. R. Gray, 1866 - Dao, Roti, Semau and Timor (southern Lesser Sundas). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Drab Swiftlet (Collocalia neglecta). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Drab Swiftlet (Collocalia neglecta).
amethystina Salomonsen, 1983 - Waigeo I (off north-western New Guinea).
erwini Collin and Hartert, 1927 - Western New Guinea, c. 1600 m and above.
numforensis Salomonsen, 1983 - Numfor I (in Geelvink Bay, western New Guinea).
nitens Ogilvie-Grant, 1914 - Lowland New Guinea, occasionally to 2500 m, and satellite islands. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia nitens).
misimae Salomonsen, 1983 - Louisiade Archipelago.
stresemanni Rothschild & Hartert, 1914 - Admiralty Is (Manus, Rambutyo, Nauna, Los Negros).
kalili Salomonsen, 1983 - New Hanover, New Ireland and nearby Djaul I (central Bismarck Archipelago).
spilogaster Salomonsen, 1983 - Tabar Is (Tatau) and Lihir Group (north-eastern Bismarck Archipelago).
hypogrammica Salomonsen, 1983 - Green Is including Nissan (eastern Bismarck Archipelago).
tametamele Stresemann, 1921 - New Britain and nearby Witu Is, and Bougainville I (north-western Solomons).
becki Mayr, 1931 - Central and north-eastern Solomons (including Malaita).
makirensis Mayr, 1931 - San Cristobal I (south-eastern Solomons).
desiderata Mayr, 1931 - Rennell I (southern Solomons).
uropygialis G. R. Gray, 1866 - Santa Cruz Is and Vanuatu (including Torres Is and Banks Is). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Satin Swiftlet (Collocalia uropygialis). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Satin Swiftlet (Collocalia uropygialis).
albidior Salomonsen, 1983 - Loyalty Is and New Caledonia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Satin Swiftlet (Collocalia uropygialis).
heinrothi Neumann, 1919 - Bismarck Archipelago (New Hanover, Nusa, New Ireland, and Djaul).
lagonoleucos Schodde, Rheindt, & Christidis, 2017 - North-western Solomon Islands (Buka and Bougainville; identify of population on Shortland not determined, but possibly this subspecies).
Similar Species
White-rumped Swiftlet (Aerodramus spodiopygius), which is greyer and has a white rump. Some paler bellied swiflets seen over northern Australia may also be Cave Swiftlets, from Indonesia, Uniform Swiftlet (Aerodramus vanikorensis), which has darker underparts.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet