Large swiftlet with shallowly forked tail, warm brown, slightly glossy, upperparts lacking rump contrast, underparts dark with contrastingly silver-grey throat, densely feathered tarsi, white rami of nape feathers contrast with dark tips. Unique amongst Apodidae in lacking hallux – has only 3 toes. No info for echolocation.
Data deficient
Large swiftlet with shallowly forked tail, warm brown, slightly glossy, upperparts lacking rump contrast, underparts dark with contrastingly silver-grey throat, densely feathered tarsi, white rami of nape feathers contrast with dark tips. Unique amongst Apodidae in lacking hallux – has only 3 toes. No info for echolocation.
14 cm
Taxonomy:
- Collocalia whiteheadi papuensis Rand, 1941, Idenburg River, Irian Jaya. Genus often merged into Collocalia. Has been considered conspecific with A. whiteheadi, but present species, unique amongst Apodidae, lacks fourth toe. Monotypic. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution:
- New Guinea: specimens collected from Idenburg R, Snow Mts and Jayapura. Probable sight records from more extensive area of N New Guinea and around Port Moresby in S; first specimen for Papua New Guinea taken from N slopes of Hindenburg Range, Western Province, Apr 1993.
Occurs over range of habitats from sea-level to 1400 m.
Typically feeds at high elevations, though low-level recorded over wetlands. Flocks of 20-30 typically. In PNG one was removed at 6.15 from a net checked at 21.00 previous evening. Suggesting crepuscular or even limited nocturnal activity.