Himalayan Swiftlet (Aerodramus brevirostris) [XC256353]
by Bo Shunqi \u8584\u987a\u5947 from Bhulkan, Chamoli, Uttarakhand, India (call)
Himalayan Swiftlet (Aerodramus brevirostris) [XC651947]
by Bo Shunqi \u8584\u987a\u5947 from Hubei Province Shen Nongjia NR, China (flight call)
Subspecies
Subspecies vulcanorum and rogersi may represent distinct species, particularly the former. Subspecies rogersi may be closely related to Indian Swiftlet (Aerodramus unicolor), but intergrades between rogersi and other subspecies of present species may occur. Subspecies vulcanorum has alternatively been considered a subspecies of Black-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus maximus). Formerly linked with Whitehead's Swiftlet (Aerodramus whiteheadi), but differs in nest type and rump pattern.
Proposed subspecies inopinus and capnitis, both from Hubei (east-central China), are synonyms of innominatus; rump colour varies within populations of innominatus, dark-rumped individuals having been described as subspecies pellos.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
brevirostris (Horsfield, 1840) - Himalayas and mountains of north-eastern India, south-central China (western Yunnan), Myanmar and Thailand. Winters to south-western Thailand and Malay Peninsula and possibly Sumatra.
innominatus (Hume, 1873) - East-central and south-central China (Hubei, southern Sichuan, northern Guizhou, Yunnan) and northern Vietnam (north-western Tonkin). Winters to south-western Thailand and Malay Peninsula, occasionally to Andaman Is and possibly Sumatra.
rogersi (Deignan, 1955) - Eastern Myanmar, western Thailand and northern Laos. Winters as far southern as Surat Thani (southern Thailand). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Indochinese Swiftlet (Collocalia rogersi).
vulcanorum (Stresemann, 1926) - Mountains of Java.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet