Wildlifeof Nepal
Crested Treeswift
Nightjars, Frogmouths & Swifts
Photo: (c) Teja Yantrapalli, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Hemiprocne coronata
Basic stats
Diet
Insects, including honey bees, taken on the wing
Habitat
Open forest; mostly lowlands below 1,000m
Range
India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Southeast Asia, to China
Clutch size
One blue-grey egg
Size
About 23cm
The crested treeswift is a large, slender bird about 23cm long. It is dove grey above and white below, with long, bowed wings and a deeply forked tail that usually looks narrow and pointed, and a crest. The adult male has orange cheeks and ear coverts with a narrow white streak under the eye, while the female has a thin white stripe below a grey cheek (Wikipedia, general species account).
Most birds live in the lowlands below 1,000m, in small groups that fly in wide circles over open forest, occasionally perching on a tall, leafless tree. They feed in the air, capturing insects including honey bees on the wing. The call is a harsh kee-kyew. It lays a single blue-grey egg in a nest so small that the incubating bird may look like it is just perched on a knotted branch.
Quick answers
- What does the Crested Treeswift eat?
- Insects, including honey bees, taken on the wing
- What habitat does the Crested Treeswift live in?
- Open forest; mostly lowlands below 1,000m
- Where is the Crested Treeswift found?
- India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Southeast Asia, to China
- How many eggs does the Crested Treeswift lay?
- One blue-grey egg
- How big is the Crested Treeswift?
- About 23cm