Aerodramus: taxon details and analytics
- Domain
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Apodidae
- Genus
- Aerodramus
- Species
- Scientific Name
- Aerodramus
Summary description from Wikipedia:
Aerodramus
Aerodramus is a genus of small, dark, cave-nesting birds in the Collocaliini tribe of the swift family. Its members are confined to tropical and subtropical regions in southern Asia, Oceania and northeastern Australia. Many of its members were formerly classified in Collocalia, but were first placed in a separate genus by American ornithologist Harry Church Oberholser in 1906.
This is a taxonomically difficult group of very similar species. Echolocation, DNA sequencing and parasitic lice have all been used to establish relationships, but some problems, such as the placement of the Papuan swiftlet are not fully resolved. These swiftlets can pose major identification problems where several species occur.
What distinguishes Aerodramus swiftlets from other swifts, and indeed almost all other birds, is their ability to use a simple but effective form of echolocation. This enables them to navigate within the breeding and roosting caves.
The nests of Aerodramus swiftlets are constructed with saliva as a major component. In two species, saliva is the only material used, and the nests are collected for the famous Chinese delicacy 'bird's nest soup', the over-collection of which puts pressure on the swiftlet populations.
...Aerodramus in languages:
- Bokmål
- Typiske salanganer
- Chinese
- 金絲燕屬
- English
- Dark Swiftlets
- English
- Echolocating Swiftlets
- Finnish
- salangaanit
- German
- Echte Salanganen
- Japanese
- ヒマラヤアナツバメ属
- Thai
- สกุล นกแอ่นสีเข้ม
Images from inaturalist.org observations:
We recommend you sign up for this excellent, free service.
Parent Taxon
Sibling Taxa
Child Taxa
- Aerodramus amelis
- Aerodramus bartschi
- Aerodramus brevirostris
- Aerodramus ceramensis
- Aerodramus elaphrus
- Aerodramus francicus
- Aerodramus fuciphagus
- Aerodramus germani
- Aerodramus hirundinaceus
- Aerodramus infuscatus
- Aerodramus inquietus
- Aerodramus leucophaeus
- Aerodramus manuoi
- Aerodramus maximus
- Aerodramus mearnsi
- Aerodramus nuditarsus
- Aerodramus ocistus
- Aerodramus orientalis
- Aerodramus papuensis
- Aerodramus pelewensis
- Aerodramus salangana
- Aerodramus sawtelli
- Aerodramus sororum
- Aerodramus spodiopygius
- Aerodramus terraereginae
- Aerodramus unicolor
- Aerodramus vanikorensis
- Aerodramus vulcanorum
- Aerodramus whiteheadi






























































































































































