Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)
Order: APODIFORMES
Family: APODIDAE Swifts
Scientific name: Cypsiurus balasiensis
English name: Asian Palm Swift
Characteristic: Size 13 cm. A small dark brown aerial-feeding bird with long, slender wings and tail. From the Edible-nest swiftlet, it differs in possessing longer and deeper forked tail.
Distribution: India, Southwest China, Southeast Asia, Hainan, the Greater Sundas and the Philippines.
Habitat: Inhabits naturally in open grounds, grass fields, paddy fields, scrub forest, open forest and around human habitation, from the plain to the high altitude of 1,800 m. In Sakaerat forest, this swift is seen flying abundantly above the clearings and open forset.
Habit: Normally keeping in flocks in the daytime, spending almost all hours flying and hovering overhead. They are incapable to perch on electric wires, telegraph wires, or tree branches, only clinging vertically to hanging palm leaves, where they also us as roosting sites at night. Breeding occurs from March to June; during which they build communal nests fastening to palm leaves, i.e. the palmyra palm, coconut palm and others. Its basket-shaped nest is made form grass fibers fastened and fixed togerther by sticky secretion from its salivary glands and it is strong enough to withstand the weights of its body and eggs. A clutch of 2-3 white eggs will be deposited, and they need and incubation period of 10-11 days.
Status: A common resident in Sakaerat area. It is a protected wild animal according to the local wildlife law.
