Tahiti swiftlet [SEP] taxon rank
Swift


International assesses the Guam swiftlet as endangered and lists the Atiu, dark-rumped, Schouteden's, Seychelles and Tahiti swiftlets as vulnerable; twelve other species are near threatened or lack sufficient data for classification. The hardened saliva nests of the edible-nest swiftlet and the black-nest swiftlet have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years, most often as bird's nest soup. Over-harvesting of this expensive delicacy has led to a decline in the numbers of these swiftlets, especially as the nests are also thought
4163157
Mariana swiftlet


The Mariana swiftlet or Guam swiftlet ("Aerodramus bartschi") is a species of swiftlet in the Apodidae family. It was formerly lumped with the island swiftlet ("Aerodramus inquietus"). The swiftlet is about 11 cm in length with a dark grey-brown head and upperparts. Its throat and upper breast are grey-white with the rest of the underparts darker grey. The tail has a shallow fork and the plumage lacks gloss. The swiftlet is found in Guam as well as in Saipan and Aguiguan in the
8213374
Christmas Island swiftlet


Collocalia esculenta"). However, in 2008 the taxonomists Les Christidis and Walter Boles treated the swiftlet as a subspecies of the cave swiftlet ("Collocalia linchi"). It was raised to species status based on a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. The Christmas Island swiftlet is a small swiftlet some in length. It is mainly glossy blue-black or green-black above, with dark grey underparts relieved by a prominent white belly and vent. This swiftlet is restricted to
14281669
Christmas Island swiftlet


The Christmas Island swiftlet ("Collocalia natalis"), also known as the Christmas glossy swiftlet or the Christmas cave swiftlet, is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean. It was formerly commonly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. The Christmas Island swiftlet was described by the English naturalist Joseph Lister in 1889 with the scientific name "Collocalia esculenta natalis". It has usually been considered a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet ("
14281668
Bornean swiftlet


The Bornean swiftlet ("Collocalia dodgei"), also referred to as the Kinabalu 'linchi' swiftlet, is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to the northern mountains of the island of Borneo. It has variously been considered a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet or the cave swiftlet, and in 2008 was split from the latter ("C. linchi") as a full species "C. dodgei". The Bornean swiftlet was described by the American ornithologist Charles Richmond in 1905 under current binomial name
17859068
Himalayan swiftlet


The Himalayan swiftlet ("Aerodramus brevirostris") is a small swift. It is a common colonial breeder in the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. Some populations are migratory. This swiftlet was formerly placed in the genus "Collocalia". Two of its five subspecies are frequently given full species status, "A. b. rogersi" as the Indochinese swiftlet, "Aerodramus rogersi", and the isolated Javan form "A. b. vulcanorum" as the Volcano swiftlet, "Aerodramus vulcanorum". This 13–14 cm long swiftlet has swept-back
16204653
Swiftlet


is made from nests of some species of swiftlet, mainly the edible-nest (or white-nest) swiftlet ("Aerodramus fuciphagus") and the black-nest swiftlet. Instead of twigs, feathers and straw, these swiftlets make their nest only from strands of their gummy saliva, which hardens when exposed to air. Once the nests are harvested, they are cleaned and sold to restaurants. Eating swiftlet nest material is believed to help maintain skin tone, balance "qi" ("life energy") and
16344543
Taxonomic rank


not to say that a taxon at any other rank may not be sharply defined, or that any species is guaranteed to be sharply defined. It varies from case to case. Ideally, a taxon is intended to represent a clade, that is, the phylogeny of the organisms under discussion, but this is not a requirement. A classification in which all taxa have formal ranks cannot adequately reflect knowledge about phylogeny. Since taxon names are dependent on ranks in traditional Linnaean systems of classification, taxa without ranks cannot be
17667712
Grey-rumped swiftlet


maginata" is Latin for "bordered" or "edged". The grey-rumped swiftlet was previously treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet but was promoted to species status based on the results of a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. There are two subspecies: The grey-rumped swiftlet is in length with a square tail. The back and upper surface of the wings are dull dark blue with a moderate green gloss. The is paler due to the white margins of
15168437
Plume-toed swiftlet


The specific epithet "affinis" is Latin for "related" or "applied". The plume-toed swiftlet was previously treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet but was promoted to species status based on the results of a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. There are five subspecies: The plume-toed swiftlet is in length with a square tail. The back and upper surface of the wings are uniformly dark greenish-blue with a moderate gloss. The throat and upper
19163295
Ridgetop swiftlet


" is from the Ancient Greek "isos" meaning "equal" or "similar" and "nōton" meaning "back". The ridgetop swiftlet was formerly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet but was promoted to species status based on the results of a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. There are two subspecies: The ridgetop swiftlet is in length with a square tail. The back and upper surface of the wings are a dark dull blue with a moderate green gloss
19163310
Cave swiftlet


The cave swiftlet ("Collocalia linchi") is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesia islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali. It is a woodland species and nests in caves. The Bornean swiftlet was considered a subspecies, but is now usually considered distinct. The cave swiftlet was described by the naturalists Thomas Horsfield and Frederic Moore in 1854 under the present binomial name "Collocalia linchi". The specific epithet "linchi" is the Javanese word for a swiftlet. There are four
8213392
Uniform swiftlet


, to navigate. The uniform swiftlet is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. It is about 13 cm long with a wingspan averaging around 27 cm. It weighs about 11 grams. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. It is similar to, and most likely to be confused with, the white-rumped swiftlet or mountain swiftlet. Several subspecies are recognised, and the form "A. v. inquietus" is often
11587455
Satin swiftlet


The satin swiftlet ("Collocalia uropygialis") is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Santa Cruz Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. The satin swiftlet was described by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1866 as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet with the scientific name "Collocalia esculenta uropygialis". The type locality is Aneityum, the southernmost island of Vanuatu. The epithet "
16606328
Satin swiftlet


uropygialis" is from the Latin "uropygialis" meaning "rump". The satin swiftlet was formerly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet but was promoted to species status based on the results of a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. Two subspecies are recognised: The satin swiftlet is around in length. The back is satin blueish black. The throat and upper breast are plain dark grey, the lower breast, flanks and belly are white. The tail feathers are dark but
16606329
Ridgetop swiftlet


The ridgetop swiftlet ("Collocalia isonota") is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously considered a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. The ridgetop swiftlet was described by the American ornithologist Harry Oberholser in 1906 as a subspecies of the cave swiftlet with the trinomial name "Collocalia linchi isonota". The type locality is the province of Benguet on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The specific epithet "isonota
19163309
Grey-rumped swiftlet


The grey-rumped swiftlet or gray-rumped swiftlet ("Collocalia marginata") is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to some islands in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously considered a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. The grey-rumped swiftlet was described by the Italian ornithologist Tommaso Salvadori in 1882 and given the current binomial name "Collocalia marginata". The type locality is the island of Cebu in the Philippines. The specific epithet "
15168436
Tenggara swiftlet


The Tenggara swiftlet ("Collocalia sumbawae") is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to the western Lesser Sunda Islands which form part of Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously considered a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. The Tenggara swiftlet was described by the German ornithologist Erwin Stresemann in 1925 under the present binomial name "Collocalia sumbawae". The type locality is the island of Sumbawa in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The Tenggara swiftlet was formerly treated as
19163326
Glossy swiftlet


catching insects in flight. Glossy swiftlets have been considered as possible foster parents for restoring the population of the endangered edible-nest swiftlet in the Andaman Islands. The glossy swiftlet is known from India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Timor, Brunei, Christmas Island, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. It is a vagrant to Australia. It is not a migrant. The glossy swiftlet has a very large range and is reported as being abundant in at least
8213381
Swiftlet


which emit single clicks. The single click is thought be used to avoid voice overlap during echolocation. The use of a single click might be associated with an evolutionary shift in eastern Pacific swiftlets; determining how many clicks the Marquesan swiftlet emits could shed light on this. It was also discovered that both the Atiu swiftlet and the Papuan swiftlet emit clicks while foraging outside at dusk; the latter possibly only in these circumstances, considering that it might not nest in caves at all. Such behavior is not known to occur in other
16344539
Form (botany)


In botanical nomenclature, a form ("forma", plural "formae") is one of the "secondary" taxonomic ranks, below that of variety, which in turn is below that of species; it is an infraspecific taxon. If more than three ranks are listed in describing a taxon, the "classification" is being specified, but only three parts make up the "name" of the taxon: a genus name, a specific epithet, and an infraspecific epithet. The abbreviation "f." or the
7125380
Drab swiftlet


or "neglected". It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet but was raised to species status based on a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. There are two subspecies: The drab swiftlet is in length with a square tail. It has a satin grayish-blue back with slightly glossy crown and tail. The throat and the upper breast is a mid-gray with a lighter margin to the feathers. The lower breast, flanks and belly are white but
18829278
Drab swiftlet


The drab swiftlet ("Collocalia neglecta") is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. The drab swiftlet was described by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1866 under the binomial name "Collocalia neglecta". The type locality is the island of Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The specific epithet "neglecta" is from the Latin "neglectus" meaning "ignored", "overlooked"
18829277
Australian swiftlet


The Australian swiftlet ("Aerodramus terraereginae") is a small bird belonging to the genus "Aerodramus" in the swift family, Apodidae. It is endemic to Queensland in north-eastern Australia. It was formerly included in the white-rumped swiftlet ("Aerodramus spodiopygius") but is now commonly treated as a separate species. It has two subspecies which are occasionally regarded as two separate species: "A. t. terraereginae" and "A. t. chillagoensis" (Chillagoe swiftlet). It is 11-12 centimetres long
8085189
Infraspecific name


In botany, an infraspecific name is the scientific name for any taxon below the rank of species, i.e. an infraspecific taxon. (A "taxon", plural "taxa", is a group of organisms to be given a particular name.) The scientific names of botanical taxa are regulated by the "International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants" (ICN). This specifies a 'three part name' for infraspecific taxa, plus a 'connecting term' to indicate the rank of the name
20320028
Himalayan swiftlet


clicks are followed by the twittering call when the bird is approaching its nest. Echolocation was used to separate the former genus "Aerodramus", which was thought to contain the only echolocating swiftlets. from "Collocalia", but the discovery that the pygmy swiftlet, "Collocalia troglodytes", also echolocates led to some taxonomists merging the two genera. This swiftlet is a highland species, with a preference for feeding open areas in forests, such as river valleys. "A. b. brevirostris" breeds up 4,500 m in Nepal and
16204657
Tenggara swiftlet


a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet but was promoted to species status based on the results of a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. There are two subspecies: The Tenggara swiftlet is in length with a square tail. The back and upper surface of the wings are dark blue with a moderate gloss. The is generally dark but sometimes includes feathers with thin white edging. The throat and upper breast are grey with fine white scalloping merging into larger greyish chevrons over the lower breast and flanks
19163327
Uniform swiftlet


The uniform swiftlet, ("Aerodramus vanikorensis"), also known as the Vanikoro or lowland swiftlet, is a gregarious, medium-sized swiftlet with a shallowly forked tail. The colouring is dark grey-brown, darker on the upperparts with somewhat paler underparts, especially on chin and throat. This species is widespread from the Philippines through Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia. It forages for flying insects primarily in lowland forests and open areas. It nests in caves where it uses its sense of echolocation, rare in birds
11587454
Christmas Island swiftlet


are cemented to the cave wall with the bird’s saliva. The swiftlet feeds aerially on flying ants and other insects. Garnett & Crowley (2000) considered the swiftlet, along with a suite of Christmas Island’s other endemics, as critically endangered, with the principal threat coming from the yellow crazy ants which were accidentally introduced to the island. The threat is not only that of direct ant predation of swiftlet nestlings, but also indirectly from potentially massive changes to the ecology of the island caused by the ants. Sometimes the
14281671
Himalayan swiftlet


the bill. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile has a less distinct rump. There are five subspecies, differing mainly in the rump tone. Over much of its range, this is the only swift, but in the south of its breeding area and much of its wintering range it can be very difficult to distinguish this species from other "Collocalia" swiftlets. The Himalayan swiftlet has a twittering ' roosting call, and also has a piercing ' call. What distinguishes many, but not all, swiftlet species from
16204655
Swiftlet


and the food source, but it is generally not large; "Aerodramus" swiftlets lay 1 to 2 eggs. The eggs are a dull white color and are laid every other day. Many if not all species are colonial nesters; some build their nests in high, dark corners on cave walls. Swiftlets in temperate zones do migrate, but most "Aerodramus" swiftlets live in the tropical Indo-Pacific region and do not migrate. These birds usually remain in one cave or other roosting/nesting site. Some examples
16344534
Swiftlet


Nido in Palawan, known for its limestone cliffs and pristine beaches, is home to a thriving bird's-nest market. The name El Nido is the Spanish term for literally "The Nest". Many locals still practice manual climbing of the limestone caves to gather swiftlet nests. The Papuan swiftlet is apparently closer to the waterfall swift than to the other "Aerodramus" species and probably best placed in a separate genus, whereas Thomassen "et al." (2005) advocate reuniting all swiftlets in "Collocalia". "
16344547
Aerodramus


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
16628139
Aerodramus


famous Chinese delicacy 'bird's nest soup', the over-collection of which puts pressure on the swiftlet populations. The range of these swiftlets is confined to tropical southern Asia, Oceania, northeastern Australia and the Indian Ocean, with the greatest diversity in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Several of the species are restricted to small islands, and their limited range can make them vulnerable, like the Seychelles, Whitehead's and Guam swiftlets. The Mangaia swiftlet is a recently extinct species known only from fossils.
16628140
Aerodramus


and roost at night. Apart from swiftlets, the only other avian species to use echolocation is the unrelated oilbird. The "Aerodramus" swiftlets' echolocating double clicks are within the normal human hearing range and up to 3 milliseconds apart, with the interval becoming shorter in darker locations. Unlike the rest of the genus (for those species which have been studied), the Atiu swiftlet, "Aerodramus sawtelli", and the black-nest swiftlet, "A. maximus", emit only single clicks. The former species also
16628146
Plume-toed swiftlet


The plume-toed swiftlet ("Collocalia affinis") is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is found on some eastern Indian Ocean islands, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and lowland Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously considered a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. The plume-toed swiftlet was described by the English ornithologist Robert Cecil Beavan in 1867 and given current binomial name "Collocalia affinis". The type locality is Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.
19163294
Edible bird's nest


nest jelly can be made by placing the bird's nest in a ceramic container with minimal water and sugar (or salt) and double steamed. The most heavily harvested nests are from the edible-nest swiftlet or white-nest swiftlet ("Aerodramus fuciphagus") and the black-nest swiftlet ("Aerodramus maximus"). The nests are supposedly rich in nutrients, which are traditionally believed to provide health benefits. Most nests are built during the breeding season by the male swiftlet over a period of 35 days.
20173346
Seychelles swiftlet


but are less pointed than those of the other swift species which sometimes visit the islands. A soft, twittering call is given in flight by feeding flocks and the birds also have a low-pitched, metallic clicking call used for echolocation in caves. The Seychelles swiftlet is related to the smaller, paler Mascarene swiftlet ("Aerodramus francicus") of Mauritius and Réunion and has been treated as a subspecies of it in the past. The two are thought to have separated about 500,000 years ago. The Seychelles swiftlet breeds on
3414982
Edible-nest swiftlet


-nest swiftlet, but is now often considered to be a separate species. It occurs in the Malay Peninsula, central Thailand, coastal Vietnam and Cambodia, Hainan, northern Borneo and parts of the Philippines. The edible-nest swiftlet feeds over a range of habitats from coastal areas to the mountains, occurring up to 2,800 metres above sea-level on Sumatra and Borneo. Its diet consists of flying insects which are caught on the wing. It often feeds in large flocks with other species of swiftlet and swallow. It
3597812
Germain's swiftlet


bill and feet are black. The nominate subspecies "C. g. germani" from Hainan south to Thailand and northern Malaysia has a whitish rump, but "C. g. amechanus" of the rest of Malaysia has a grey rump. These two forms are sometimes considered to be subspecies of the edible-nest swiftlet. Several calls are uttered including a loud "zwing" and various "chip" calls used for echolocation in dark caves. Himalayan swiftlet winters within the range of Germain's swiftlet, but is larger and bulkier, and
8213383
Taxon


In biology, a taxon (plural taxa; back-formation from "taxonomy") is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and given a particular ranking, especially if and when it is accepted or becomes established. It is not uncommon, however, for taxonomists to remain at odds over what belongs to a taxon and the criteria used for inclusion. If a taxon is given
20416048
Swiftlet


group. Its internal systematics is confusing; the plumage is usually dull, with shades of black, brown, and gray; from their outward appearance, most species are very similar. Swiftlets have four toes, except the Papuan swiftlet which lacks the hallux (back toe). Their legs are very short, preventing the birds from perching, but allowing them to cling to vertical surfaces. Flight is mainly gliding due to very long primary feathers and small breast muscles. The larger "Aerodramus" swiftlets weigh about 14 grams and
16344532
Name-bearing type


group" ranks consist of just the species and subspecies. (Note: a "species group" defined as a taxon, rather than as a category of ranks, has an unofficial rank, one of several such ranks between the subgenus and species levels sometimes used by zoologists in taxa with many species; see Taxonomic rank.) The name-bearing type of a species-group taxon (hereafter "species" for brevity) is an actual specimen or set of specimens; the "Code" recommends that great care should
5809726
RMS Tahiti


at sea but the level of damage sustained by "Tahiti" in the breaking of her propeller shaft was exceedingly rare, and determined that "Tahiti"′s sinking was "due to a peril of the sea which no reasonable human care or foresight could have avoided." The court commended "Tahiti"′s master, T. A. Toten, for displaying "resource and cool accurate judgment worthy of the highest praise," said that "all ranks under him responded to the example that he set," and noted the efforts of the ship′s engineering
14866252
Botanical nomenclature


taxon (see correct name) and if a new name may (or must) be coined. Plant taxonomy is an empirical science, a science that determines what constitutes a particular taxon (taxonomic grouping, plural: taxa): e.g. "What plants belong to this species?" and "What species belong to this genus?". The definition of the limits of a taxon is called its 'circumscription'. For a particular taxon, if two taxonomists agree exactly on its circumscription, rank and position (i.e. the
15041079
Tetraplasandra


to be diphyletic, with its single Hawaiian species not forming a clade with the four species from Samoa, Tahiti, and the Marquesas. Basal relationships in "Polyscias" subgenus Tetraplasandra remain obscure because of insufficient taxon sampling in phylogenetic studies. Gregory M. Plunkett, Jun Wen, Porter P. Lowry II, Murray J. Henwood, Pedro Fiaschi, and Anthony D. Mitchell. accepted, undated. Araliaceae, pages ??. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor); ?? (volume editor). "The Families and Genera of
12085012
Synonym (taxonomy)


of Zoological Nomenclature", synonyms are different scientific names of the same taxonomic rank that pertain to that same taxon. For example, a particular species could, over time, have had two or more species-rank names published for it, while the same is applicable at higher ranks such as genera, families, orders, etc. In each case, the earliest published name is called the senior synonym, while the later name is the junior synonym. In the case where two names for the same taxon have been published
3098371
Edible-nest swiftlet


the wings are long and narrow. The bill and feet are black. The subspecies "A. f. micans" is paler and greyer while "A. f. vestitus" is darker with a rump that is less obviously paler. Several calls are uttered including a loud, rattling call used for echolocation in dark caves. There are six subspecies of the edible-nest swiftlet: German's swiftlet ("Aerodramus germani"), with two subspecies "germani" and "amechanus", was formerly considered to be conspecific with the edible
3597811
Cave swiftlet


the cave swiftlet has a naked toe. It is in length. The call is a high-pitched "cheer-cheer". The cave swiftlet is native to Malaysia and Indonesia. It is found in the Sundaic region, in Java, Madura Island, Bawean, Kangean Island, Nusa Penida, Bali and Lombok, parts of Sumatra, and the western slopes of Mount Kinabalu on Sabah, Borneo. Evidence of it occurring in Malaysia rests on a single specimen in the British Museum labelled "Molacca". Its natural
8213394
Swiftlet


harder to see, and longer IPPs are observed when the bird nears the exit of the cave. This behavior is similar to that of bats as they approach targets. The birds also emit a series of low clicks followed by a call when approaching the nests; presumably to warn nearby birds out of their way. It is thought that the double clicks are used to discriminate between individual birds. "Aerodramus sawtelli", the Atiu swiftlet, and "Aerodramus maximus", the black-nest swiftlet are the only known species
16344538
Glossy swiftlet


The glossy swiftlet ("Collocalia esculenta") is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and eastwards to New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. The glossy swiftlet was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his "Systema Naturae" under the binomial name "Hirundo esculenta". The type locality is Ambon Island, one of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The specific epithet "esculenta" is from "esculentus"
8213378
Germain's swiftlet


The Germain's swiftlet ("Aerodramus germani") is a species of swift. It is found in China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. This swiftlet is 12 cm long and weighs 13 to 14 grams. The plumage is blackish-brown above, but much paler on the underparts. The tail is slightly forked and the wings are long and narrow. The
8213382
Indian swiftlet


The Indian swiftlet, or Indian edible-nest swiftlet, ("Aerodramus unicolor") is a small swift. It is a common resident colonial breeder in the hills of Sri Lanka and south west India. The half-cup nest is built on a vertical surface, often in a cave. The male swift uses thick saliva to construct the white, shiny nest into which two eggs are laid. The relatively tasteless nests are harvested, and mixed with chicken, spices, and other flavours as bird's nest soup,
13334721
Himalayan swiftlet


2200m in central Bhutan, and the forms "A. b. rogersi" and "A. b. inniminata" occur up to 2200 m in Thailand. The tiny cup nest is constructed by the male swift from thick saliva and some moss, and is attached to a vertical rock wall in a cave. Nests of this colonial swift may be touching. The clutch is two white eggs. This swiftlet is monogamous and both partners take part in caring for the nestlings. The Himalayan swiftlet, like all swifts, is an aerial insectivore
16204658
Aerodramus


nest swiftlet), "Aerodramus fuciphagus", and the black-nest swiftlet, "Aerodramus maximus". Instead of incorporating twigs, feathers and straw like others in the genus, these two swiftlets make their nest only from strands of their gummy saliva, which harden when exposed to air. Once the nests are harvested, they are cleaned and sold to restaurants. Over the past twenty years, the high demand for the nests of these "Aerodramus" species has had an adverse effect on their populations. The Niah caves
16628150
Edible-nest swiftlet


The Edible-nest Swiftlet ("Aerodramus fuciphagus"), also known as the White-nest Swiftlet, is a small bird of the swift family which is found in South-east Asia. Its nest is made of solidified saliva and is used to make bird's nest soup. It is 11 to 12 cm long and weighs 15 to 18 grams. The plumage is blackish-brown above, paler on the underparts. The rump is slightly paler than the rest of the upperparts. The tail is slightly forked and
3597810
Uniform swiftlet


split as the island swiftlet, "A. inquietus". This species is widespread from the Philippines through Wallacea, New Guinea and Melanesia. It has been recorded as a rare vagrant to Australia, from Cape York Peninsula and islands in Torres Strait. The uniform swiftlet forages over lowland forests and open areas. It roosts in caves and sinkholes, mostly in limestone areas. The caves may be as little as long but are usually much larger. Sometimes man-made tunnels or structures are used. This species feeds on flying insects
11587456
Eungella National Park


Acanthisa pusilla") and the glossy black cockatoo ("Calyptorhynchus lathami"). Grey swiftlets (also known as Australian swiftlets) ("Aerodramus terraereginea") breed in caves in the Finch Hatton Creek area, and glossy swiftlets ("Collocalia esculenta") are also found in the park. A total of 16 amphibian species have been recorded in the park. Globally, amphibians have undergone rapid and extensive decline in recent decades, due in part to habitat loss and pollution, but unknown factors threaten almost half the species
14650472
Swiftlet


". The genus "Aerodramus" was thought to be the only echolocating swiftlets. These birds use echolocation to locate their roost in dark caves. Unlike a bat's echolocation, "Aerodramus" swiftlets make clicking noises that are well within the human range of hearing. The clicks consist of two broad band pulses (3–10 kHz) separated by a slight pause (1–3 milliseconds). The interpulse periods (IPPs) are varied depending on the level of light; in darker situations the bird emits shorter IPPs, as obstacles become
16344537
Swiftlet


species, but quite possibly does, given that the Papuan and Atiu swiftlets are not closely related. However, it has recently been determined that the echolocation vocalizations do not agree with evolutionary relationship between swiftlet species as suggested by DNA sequence comparison. This suggests that as in bats, echolocation sounds, once present, adapt rapidly and independently to the particular species' acoustic environment. Three hypotheses are considered to describe how echolocation evolved in the genus "Aerodramus" and, as determined more recently, other taxa in the Apodidae. One
16344540
Bornean swiftlet


"Collocalia dodgei". The specific epithet "dodgei" is in honour of H. D. Dodge who had collected the specimen on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. At about 10 cm in length it is a tiny swiftlet with relatively short wings and a square tail. Mainly glossy dark grey to black in colour, it has a white belly. Compared with the glossy swiftlet, which also occurs within its range, it is slightly smaller, with a greenish, rather than bluish, gloss to the feathers, and with no white tail
17859069
Mangaia swiftlet


The Mangaia swiftlet ("Aerodramusa manuoi") is an extinct species of bird in the swift family. It became extinct during prehistoric times. It was endemic to Mangaia in the Cook Islands. It was closely allied with the extant Atiu swiftlet ("Aerodramus sawtelli") of Atiu, Mangaia's neighbouring island, though it was probably slightly larger. It was described from six fossil bones recovered from a Holocene rock shelter deposit on Mangaia. The coracoid and carpometacarpus of the new species are larger and very different qualitatively from those
22060321
Collocalia


subspecies of the glossy swiftlet were promoted to species status based on a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. The genus now contains the following 11 species: An Early Miocene fossil swiftlet from the Riversleigh deposits of Australia was described as "Collocalia buday". This as well as a right ulna (MNZ S42799) found at the Manuherikia River in Otago, New Zealand and dating from the Early to Middle Miocene (Awamoan to Lillburnian, 19-16 million years ago) probably belongs to
8213373
Mariana swiftlet


than once a year. The swiftlets utter twittering and chirping sounds as well as the echolocation clicks used to navigate inside the nesting and roosting caves. Most birds in a colony leave their cave at dawn to forage, returning at sunset to roost. They are aerial feeders that capture small insects in flight over forests and other vegetation. The Mariana swiftlet is considered to be Endangered. The population on Guam declined because of predation by brown tree snakes and the use of agricultural pesticides, though it is believed to have subsequently increased to
8213376
Glossy swiftlet


the Latin word for "edible". There are 17 recognised subspecies: Seven taxa that are now recognised as species were previously considered as subspecies of the glossy swiftlet. They were raised to species status based on a detailed analysis of the swiftlets in the genus "Collocalia" published in 2017. The promoted taxa are: This bird is shiny black-blue above, including its rump; sometimes looks black and hooded. Chest black; belly to flanks white with fine black speckles at margins. Wing tips are rounded; underwing
8213379
Glossy swiftlet


is black. Tail rounded with shallow notch and tiny white panels. It is so similar to the white-rumped swiftlet that both its upperparts and underparts must be seen to distinguish between the two. It is in length. Its voice is a soft twittering. The glossy swiftlet nests inside caves and buildings, creating a nest on a vertical or under a horizontal surface by secreting a sticky gel and attaching a kind of string-like grass to the surface. It is seen flying over forests, streams, rivers and roads
8213380
Cave swiftlet


habitat is lowland and upland forest and open woodland. The cave swiftlet is highly gregarious and flies with all the other species of swift that are sympatric with it. It often circles and flies through the branches of trees emerging through the canopy such as fruiting figs. It breeds in the lighter parts of caves, building a nest of stringy vegetation and cementing the materials to the rock with saliva. Two white, somewhat elongated eggs are laid. The cave swiftlet has a very wide range and is common in Java and the nearby
8213395
Volcano swiftlet


The volcano swiftlet ("Aerodramus vulcanorum") is a species of bird in the family Apodidae formerly considered conspecific with the Himalayan swiftlet ("Aerodramus brevirostris"). It is endemic to several sites in western Java in Indonesia. "Aerodramus vulcanorum" nests in rock crevices at 1000 to 3,000m above sea level. It forages around peaks and ridges of volcanoes and over hilly primary forest. All known breeding sites are on active volcanoes. the active elevation range of this species plays a major role in where it lives.
872019
Hawaii–Tahiti relations


and Hawaii. Diplomatic representation in Papeetē in the kingdom was through a series of ad-hoc envoys, and a post roughly equivalent to the current diplomatic rank of Ambassador of Consuls to Tahiti. Records are scant of Consuls prior to the 1880s. King Kamehameha II had a brief correspondent with Mahine Tehei'ura, King of Huahine, one of the three independent kingdoms in the windward sided of the Society Islands, which was linguistically and culturally tied with Tahiti. Here is a translation of one of the first Hawaiian letters ever written:
10447819
One Rank, One Pension


and 85 Indian Military Academy; and officers from the 14 Army Education Course; and twenty five officers and their families came from Jaipur. The movement continues to gain momentum, and perceptible increase in support and participation by former high-ranking officers of the armed forces, from Lt generals, Admirals, air marshals, Group Captains, and Colonels. Old veterans included Sep Ram Kishan, 93 years, Armoured Corp veteran of World War II; Sep Ram Bharose Yadav, 85 years, a blind veteran of 72 Medium Artillery;
8649907
Swiftlet


elements), and 1.4 g fiber (Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The History of Chinese Medicine and the Nutrition Table). The energy contained in 100 g of swiftlet nest is 345 kcal. The nests are often served simmered in chicken broth. Authentic bird's-nest soup is quite popular throughout Asia. It is also extremely expensive; many western restaurants serve a less expensive version consisting of soup with noodles shaped to resemble a bird's nest. Guano from both the swiftlets and the many bats that inhabit the caves supports
16344545
Aerodramus


uses echolocation outside its caves. The use of echolocation was once used to separate "Aerodramus" from the other non-echolocating cave swiftlet genera "Collocalia" and "Hydrochous" (virtually nothing is known about "Schoutedenapus"). However, recently, the pygmy swiftlet, "Collocalia troglodytes", was discovered making similar clicking noises both inside and outside its roosting cave. It has recently been determined that the echolocation vocalizations do not agree with evolutionary relationship between swiftlet species as suggested by DNA sequence comparison. This suggests that
16628147
Aerodramus


of the echolocation system might even be inherited from some prehistoric nocturnal ancestor. It has been suggested that the giant or waterfall swiftlet, "Hydrochous gigas", which cannot echolocate, may be descended from an echolocating ancestor. The intricately constructed saliva nests of this swiftlet genus, which in some species contain no other material, are collected to make the delicacy bird's nest soup. They therefore command extremely high prices. Authentic bird's nest soup is made from the nests of the edible-nest swiftlet (or white-
16628149
Aerodramus


taxonomically difficult groups, ectoparasites can give information on relationships. A study of swiftlet parasites in northern Borneo involved transferring lice between closely related swiftlet species. The survival of lice in most of these transfers was significantly reduced in proportion to the mean difference in feather barb size between the donor and recipient species of hosts. Thus, adaptation to a particular resource on the body of the host appears to govern the specificity of swiftlet lice. In transfers where lice survived, the lice moved to different areas on the body of the host where
16628152
Edible bird's nest


Edible bird's nests are bird nests created by edible-nest swiftlets, Indian swiftlets, and other swiftlets using solidified saliva, which are harvested for human consumption. They are particularly prized in Chinese culture due to their rarity, supposedly high nutritional value, and flavour. Edible bird's nests are among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans, with nests being sold at prices up to about , depending on grading. The type or grading of a bird's nest depends on the type of bird as well as the shape
20173342
Swift


air. The swiftlets or cave swiftlets have developed a form of echolocation for navigating through dark cave systems where they roost. One species, the Three-toed swiftlet, has recently been found to use this navigation at night outside its cave roost too. Swifts occur on all the continents except Antarctica, but not in the far north, in large deserts, or on many oceanic islands. The swifts of temperate regions are strongly migratory and winter in the tropics. Some species can survive short periods of cold weather by entering torpor
4163153
Cave swiftlet


recognised subspecies: HBW Alive This bird is shiny blackish-brown above with a greenish gloss, including its rump; sometimes looks black and hooded. Chest black; belly to flanks pale grey with fine black speckles at margins. Wing tips are rounded; underwing is black. Tail black, rounded with shallow notch but lacking the white specks found in the very similar glossy swiftlet ("Collocalia esculenta"). A distinguishing feature between the two species is that the glossy swiftlet has a tuft of feathers on its hind toe but
8213393
French Polynesia


who serves in the church's governing Council of Twelve Apostles. There were about 3,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Tahiti . The Polynesian traditional sport va'a is practiced in all the islands. French Polynesia hosts the an international race between Tahiti, Huahine and Bora Bora. French Polynesia is famous for its reef break waves. Teahupo'o is probably the most renowned, regularly ranked in the best waves of the world. This site hosts the annual Billabong Pro Tahiti surf competition, the 7th stop of the World Championship Tour. There are many spots
10431485
PhyloCode


content of a taxon, other than the type, is not specified by the rank-based codes. In contrast, under phylogenetic nomenclature, the content of taxa are delimited using a definition that is based on phylogeny (i.e., ancestry and descent) and uses specifiers (e.g., species, specimens, apomorphies) to indicate actual organisms. The formula of the definition indicates an ancestor. The defined taxon, then, is that ancestor and all of its descendants. Thus, the content of a phylogenetically defined taxon relies on
4227015
Mountain swiftlet


Snow Mountains and Cartenz peaks of Irian Jaya and "A. h. baru" being restricted to Yapen Island. It occurs in alpine areas from 500 m to the treeline. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests and other mountainous habitats in New Guinea. It also occurs in lower numbers in the lowlands near hills. The mountain swiftlet is a medium-sized swiftlet, 11–13 cm long. It has dark brown upperparts and paler grey undersides. The tail is slightly forked. The subspecies vary slightly from the nominate race, "
8213386
Taxonomic rank


given names. Alternative approaches, such as using circumscriptional names, avoid this problem. There are no rules for how many species should make a genus, a family, or any other higher taxon (that is, a taxon in a category above the species level). It should be a natural group (that is, non-artificial, non-polyphyletic), as judged by a biologist, using all the information available to them. Equally ranked higher taxa in different phyla are not necessarily equivalent (e.g., it
17667713
Phylogenetic nomenclature


Phylogenetic nomenclature, often called cladistic nomenclature, is a method of nomenclature for taxa in biology that uses phylogenetic definitions for taxon names as explained below. This contrasts with the traditional approach, in which taxon names are defined by a "type", which can be a specimen or a taxon of lower rank, and a description in words. Phylogenetic nomenclature is currently not regulated, but the "International Code of Phylogenetic Nomenclature" ("PhyloCode") is intended to regulate it once it is ratified. Phylogenetic nomenclature ties names
4744909
Sarracenia rosea


this taxon in a 1993 issue of "Rhodora", the journal of the New England Botanical Club. Schnell decided to place this taxon at the rank of variety below subsp. "venosa" as "S. purpurea" var. "burkii", honoring Louis Burk as Wherry had suggested 60 years earlier. In 1999, however, botanists Robert Naczi, then a professor of biology at Northern Kentucky University, and Frederick and Roberta Case elevated the variety to species rank, naming it "Sarracenia rosea". They compiled morphological
4498748
Macrostomida


The Macrostomida are a taxon of small basal free-living flatworms (Turbellaria, Platyhelminthes), which inhabit freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. The taxon name was coined by Josef Meixner (1924). There are currently about 260 named species in this taxon. As is the case for many other taxa, the taxonomic rank of Macrostomida is not very clear. Macrostomidans are small (~0.5 to 5 mm in length), and generally highly transparent microturbellarians, usually round in cross section, and with only the largest forms
13717906
Type (biology)


specimens. The type of a genus or subgenus is a species. The type of a suprageneric taxon (e.g., family, etc.) is a genus. Names higher than superfamily rank do not have types. A "name-bearing type" is a specimen or image that "provides the objective standard of reference whereby the application of the name of a nominal taxon can be determined." Although in reality biologists may examine many specimens (when available) of a new taxon before writing an official published species description,
4362871
Correct name


there are two or more legitimate names for the same taxon (with the same circumscription, position and rank), then the correct name is the one which has priority, i.e. it was published earliest, although names may be conserved if they have been very widely used. Validly published names other than the correct name are called synonyms. Since taxonomists may disagree as to the circumscription, position or rank of a taxon, there can be more than one correct name for a particular plant. These may also be called synonyms.
19338400
Banksia aquilonia


geographically distinct from other infraspecific taxa. They also noted that there were no intermediate plants between what was then known as "B. integrifolia" var. "aquilonia" and other populations of "B. integrifolia". On this basis they would have liked to promote it to species rank, but did not because their inferred phylogeny suggested that this taxon arose from within "B. integrifolia". They were unwilling to render "B. integrifolia" paraphyletic by elevating this taxon to species rank, and they were equally unwilling to elevate all four
21331511
Drosera gigantea


geniculata", that grows to tall in black sandy soils near Perth and to its south. Jan Schlauer disagreed with Marchant and Lowrie's decision to give the new taxon a rank of subspecies and thus published a new combination of the taxon at the rank of variety in a 1996 issue of the "Carnivorous Plant Newsletter". He argued that subspecies should be reserved for those occasions where allopatric, or geographically isolated, speciation occurred and varieties are best used in cases where sympatric speciation is suspected. Others disagree with this assessment,
2758435
Anaspidea


somewhat resemble the ears of a hare. Many older textbooks and websites refer to this suborder as Anaspidea. The original author Paul Henri Fischer described the taxon Anaspidea at unspecified rank above family. In 1925 Johannes Thiele established the taxon Anaspidea as a suborder. Since the taxon Anaspidea was not based on an existing genus, this name is no longer available according to the rules of the ICZN. Anaspidea has been replaced in the new Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005) by the clade Aplysiomorpha. The scientific name
4362472
Phylogenetic nomenclature


rank changed, even if it has precisely the same members (i.e. the same circumscription); and it is logically inconsistent with all taxa being monophyletic. Especially in recent decades (due to advances in phylogenetics), taxonomists have named many "nested" taxa (i.e. taxa which are contained inside other taxa). No system of nomenclature attempts to name every clade; this would be particularly difficult in traditional nomenclature since every named taxon must be given a lower rank than any named taxon in which it is nested, so the
4744916
Synonym (taxonomy)


other purposes, if a researcher is interested in consulting or compiling all currently known information regarding a taxon, some of this (including species descriptions, distribution, ecology and more) may well have been published under names now regarded as outdated (i.e., synonyms) and so it is again useful to know a list of historic synonyms which may have been used for a given current (valid) taxon name. Objective synonyms refer to taxa with the same type and same rank (more or less the same taxon, although circumscription
3098374
World Qualification Series (2009)


18 - Aug 23" 30th Anniversary of the Lacanau Pro and good conditions this year. Surf, concerts, events scheduled. Check out the video for a summary of the event http://vimeo.com/6994555 "Aug 25 - Aug 30" "Sep 01 - Sep 06" "Sep 01 - Sep 06" "Sep 04 - Sep 06" "Sep 09 - Sep 12" "Sep 10 - Sep 13" "Sep 08 - Sep 13" "Sep 15 - Sep 20" "Sep 16 - Sep 22" "Sep
1986943
List of 1982–83 NBA season transactions


1982 Oct 2, 1982 Oct 1, 1982 Sep 30, 1982 Sep 29, 1982 Sep 28, 1982 Sep 27, 1982 Sep 24, 1982 Sep 22, 1982 Sep 20, 1982 Sep 19, 1982 Sep 18, 1982 Sep 17, 1982 Sep 15, 1982 Sep 14, 1982 Sep 13, 1982 Sep 10, 1982 Sep 9, 1982 Sep 7, 1982 Sep 2, 1982 Sep 1, 1982 Aug 31, 1982 Aug 27, 1982 Aug 26, 1982 Aug 16, 1982 Aug 8,
557049
Abraham Halpern


in Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve from Sep. 24, 1942 to Nov. 30, 1945 in European, North Atlantic, and Pacific theatres. Rank on discharge: Petty Officer. Served in Royal Canadian Navy, 1953-1957, as follows: Medical Officer, R.C.N. Hospital, Esquimalt, BC, July to Nov., 1953. Medical Officer, H.M.C.S. "Cayuga", Nov., 1953 to Feb., 1955 - Far East (Korea). Medical Officer, R.C.N. Hospital, Cornwallis, NS, Apr., 1955 to Sep.,
12498700
Taxon


any biological domain, but traditionally it was always used for animals, whereas "Division" was traditionally often used for plants, fungi, etc. A prefix is used to indicate a ranking of lesser importance. The prefix "super-" indicates a rank above, the prefix "sub-" indicates a rank below. In zoology the prefix "infra-" indicates a rank below "sub-". For instance, among the additional ranks of class are superclass, subclass and infraclass. Rank is relative, and restricted to a particular
20416053
Validly published name


a particular taxon and rank. Nevertheless, invalid names ("nomen invalidum", "nom. inval.") are sometimes in use. This may occur when a taxonomist finds and recognises a taxon and thinks of a name, but delays publishing it in an adequate manner. A common reason for this is that a taxonomist intends to write a "magnum opus" that provides an overview of the group, rather than a series of small papers. Another reason is that the code of nomenclature changes with time, and
14663024
Aromobatidae


The Aromobatidae are a family of frogs native to Central and South America. They are sometimes referred to as cryptic forest frogs. They are the sister taxon of the Dendrobatidae, the poison dart frogs, but are not as toxic as most dendrobatids are. The Aromobatidae were separated from the Dendrobatidae only in 2006, and some sources continue to treat these frogs as part of the Dendrobatidae. However, their position as the sister taxon is well supported, and the question is primarily about whether they should be ranked as a family or
17636105
Ozimops


30. The variation to this is the loss of a tooth in mature individuals, the upper anterior premolar, at one or both sides of the jaw. The taxon was first published as subgenus of "Mormopterus" in 2014, separating Australian groups whose diversity was reviewed and described as new species. The content of the new taxon was established or formerly cryptic taxa of Indo-Papuan species and a centre of diversity at the Australian mainland. This was elevated to the rank of genus in 2015. The arrangement of the genus
2029365
Taxon


coined a century before from the Greek components "τάξις" (taxis, meaning arrangement) and "-νομία" (-nomia meaning method). For plants, it was proposed by Herman Johannes Lam in 1948, and it was adopted at the VII International Botanical Congress, held in 1950. The Glossary of the "International Code of Zoological Nomenclature" (1999) defines a A taxon can be assigned a taxonomic rank, usually (but not necessarily) when it is given a formal name. "Phylum" applies formally to
20416052
Autonym (botany)


belonged to the species (and are not included in the newly described taxon) now become a new infraspecific taxon. But as neither the type nor the final epithet has changed, there is no need for a change in author citation. The same goes for a subdivision of a genus. If a botanist creates a new subdivision of a genus, for example by dividing a large genus into two or more subgenera, sections, or series, then a new subdivision of the genus at each of the new ranks will share the
20983137