Whiskered Treeswift

Overview

The Hemiprocne comata is the smallest of four species in the genus Hemiprocne and belongs to the family Hemiprocnidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Size approximately 14-16 cm in length with 13 cm wings.
• Distinctive white elongated 'whiskers' above and below the eye, with a shaggy crest and a deeply forked tail.
• Head and throat are dark metallic blue, contrasting with bronze olive on the back, breast, and upper belly, and white on the lower belly.
• Bill is black, eyes are dark brown, and legs are purplish brown.

Habitat

Found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Natural habitats include subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, mangrove forests, and moist montane forests.

Diet

Forages for insects, often during non-incubation periods when one parent is not tending to the egg.

Did you know?

These birds construct their nests using small feathers, including those from other species such as pigeons, cemented together with mucin (saliva). The nest is typically situated on twigs several meters above the forest crowns.