Animalia Life

Hemiprocne coronata
TAXONOMY
Hirundo coronata Tickell, 1833, Jungles of Borabhum and Dholbhum, India. Formerly considered conspecific with grayrumped tree swift, Hemiprocne longipennis. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Indian tree swift; French: Hйmiprocnй courounnй; German: Kronenbaumsegler; Spanish: Vencejo Arborнcola Coronado. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 8.8 in (23 cm); 0.7–1.0 oz (20–26 g). Plumage largely blue-gray above with darker green-blue forehead crest and black eye patch and, in male, a reddish orange patch behind eye on ear coverts extending to side of throat. Throat and upper breast bluegray; rest of undersides white. Wing feathers dark blackish brown and darker than body; tertials pale gray. Wings long and narrow, tail deeply forked.
DISTRIBUTION
From foothills of Himalayas and peninsular India, including Sri Lanka, east through Bangladesh to coastal areas of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Replaced by gray-rumped tree swift in Malay Peninsula.
HABITAT
Forages over forested and open areas mostly at lower elevations. Prefers bare twigs on tops of emergent forest trees as perching site from which to forage.
BEHAVIOR
Makes short swooping flights in search of aerial insects, often returning to original perch. Uses distinctive upright stance with erected crest when perched. Gives rasping calls when perched and in flight. Not particularly gregarious but may join others, particularly at roosts and during active feeding periods at dusk and dawn. Flight fast with much intermittent gliding in manner of bee-eaters or wood swallows.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on a presumably wide array of aerial insects gathered in flight.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Builds tiny nest glued to small exposed horizontal branch typical of the family. The single egg takes 3+ weeks to hatch and incubation and fledging period combined takes approximately 50 days. The nest and chick are cryptically colored. The natal down of the chick is followed by a mottled cryptic contour plumage.
CONSERVATION STATUS
No conservation issues identified.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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