Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Apodiformes (Swifts)

Apodidae (Swifts)

• Hirundapus Hodgson, 1837 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 5(1836) p.780 Cypselus (Chaetura) nudipes Hodgson, 1837; Type by original designation
  • 400. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus (Latham, 1801)
    Alternative Names: White-throated Spinetail Swift
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 400a. Hirundapus caudacutus caudacutus Latham, 1801
      Original Description: Hirundo caudacuta Latham, 1801 Supplementum indicis ornithologici, sive systematis ornithologiæ p.lviii
      Distribution: Vagrant. Sikkim and Kerala
      Notes: The regular occurrence of the nominate subspecies that breeds in C Siberia in our region, at least during migration, cannot be ruled out. Photographs from Sikkim and Kerala match the features of the nominate subspecies. See Sanuraj et al. (2024, IB 19 (6): 185).
    • 400b. Hirundapus caudacutus nudipes (Hodgson, 1837) [HB#688]
      Original Description: Cypselus (Chaetura) nudipes Hodgson, 1837 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 5 p.779
      Distribution: Summer: Along the Himalaya from Kashmir west through Himachal and Uttarakhand, N Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal – also sporadically in Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and S Andaman Is. – those may be birds in migration.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, YPM
      Notes: Reports from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu not assessed here.
  
  
  • 401. Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis (Oustalet, 1878)
    Alternative Names: Cochinchina Spinetail Swift
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • [Hirundapus cochinchinensis rupchandi (Biswas, 1951) [HB#689]]
      Original Description: Chaetura cochinchinensis rupchandi Biswas, 1951 Ardea 39 (4) p.320
      Taxonomy: Not always recognised (see IOC, Avilist); whence the species treated as monotypic.
      Distribution: Corbett, Uttarakhand as well as Sikkim and N Bengal.
      Notes: No Indian specimens but Uttarakhand report (Sharma & Khanolkar 2018, IB 14 (2): 47) as well as birds reported from Sikkim & N Bengal may relate to this taxon.
    • 401a. Hirundapus cochinchinensis cochinchinensis (Oustalet, 1878) [HB#690]
      Original Description: Chaetura cochinchinensis Oustalet, 1878 Bulletin de la Société Philomathique de Paris (7), 2 p.52
      Distribution: Arunachal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Mizoram.
      Specimens: UMMZ
  
  
  • 402. Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus (Temminck, 1825)
    Original Description: Cypselus giganteus Temminck, 1825 Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon livr.61 pl.364
    Alternative Names: Brown-throated Needletail, Large Brown-throated Spinetail Swift
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 402a. Hirundapus giganteus indicus (Hume, 1873) [HB#691]
      Original Description: Chaetura indica Hume, 1873 Stray Feathers 1 p.471 (Andaman Is and southern India)
      Taxonomy: W Ghats and Andaman birds may belong to distinct subspecies.
      Distribution: Assam from about Guwahati in the east, adjoining E Arunachal, Nagaland, Cachar, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura; sporadically further W in NE Ghats of Odisha and N Andhra. Disjunctly in SW India, south of Goa till extreme S Kerala; extending further east towards the hilly transition zone in Deccan, almost till Mysore, plains in Tamil Nadu adjoining the W Ghats, sporadically in other parts of S peninsula. Also, in all major islands and islets of Andaman Is.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.8.1.53 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, ROM, YPM, TNHM
      Notes: No definite records known from Nicobars. Reports from W Bengal not considered definitive (see Manna et al. 2024, IB 20 (5): 126).
  
  
• Zoonavena Mathews, 1918 The birds of Australia 7 p.265 Chaetura grandidieri Schlegel ; Type by original designation = Chaetura grandidieri Verreaux, 1867
  • 403. White-rumped Spinetail Zoonavena sylvatica (Tickell, 1846) [HB#692]
    Original Description: Acanthylis sylvatica Tickell, 1846 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 15 p.284 (Manbhum [=Maunbhum], Jharkhand)
    Alternative Names: White-rumped Needletail, White-rumped Spinetail Swift
    Distribution: Foothills in Uttarakhand, and C India along the Satpura ranges, NE Ghats of Odisha and Andhra, W Ghats including midlands south of SW Maharashtra and Goa till the southern tip of the peninsula; east till Biligirirangans (SW Karnataka), Talamalai RF (Tamil Nadu) and Sirumalai (Tamil Nadu).
    Specimens: BNHS, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Stragglers reported from NE India (Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram) as well as N Bengal not validated.
  
  
• Cypsiurus Lesson, 1843 L'Écho du Monde Savant (2), 8 col.134 cdP Cypselus ambrosiacus Temminck, 1828; Type by monotypy = Cypselus parvus Lichtenstein, 1823
  • 404. Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis (Gray, 1829)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 404a. Cypsiurus balasiensis balasiensis (Gray, 1829) [HB#707]
      Original Description: Cypselus Balasiensis Gray, 1829 The Animal Kingdom. Arranged in conformity with its organization, by the Baron Cuvier, with additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed 7 p.60 (India)
      Taxonomy: Include palmarum Gray 1830 (No locality = Cawnpore [=Kanpur]).
      Distribution: Throughout Indian peninsula from the Himalayan foothills of Himachal, south till Kanyakumari; except the driest portions of Thar, east till about Assam and Arunachal.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, FMNH, YPM, TNHM, HYD
      Notes: The intergradation zone with infumatus in Assam has not been worked out and Brahmaputra river kept as the dividing line for convenience reasons. Arunachal birds unassigned to any subspecies.
    • 404b. Cypsiurus balasiensis infumatus (Sclater, 1866) [HB#708]
      Original Description: Cypselus infumatus Sclater, 1866 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 3 p.602
      Distribution: Assam, Nagaland, Cachar, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, AMNH, FMNH, YPM
  
  
• Tachymarptis Roberts, 1922 Annals of the Transvaal Museum 8 p.216 Hirundo melba Linnaeus, 1758; Type by original designation
  • 405. Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Original Description: Hirundo Melba Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.192
    Taxonomy: See Abdulali (1965, JBNHS 62 (1): 153) for a detailed taxonomic analysis.
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 405a. Tachymarptis melba tuneti (Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, 1904) [HB#693]
      Original Description: Apus melba tuneti Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, 1904 Ornithologisches Jahrbuch 15 p.123
      Distribution: Winter: At least W Maharashtra probably more widespread in NW India.
      Specimens: BNHS
      Notes: AR2001 range statement of the nominate subspecies as Mt. Abu and Saurashtra may refer to this subspecies.
    • 405b. Tachymarptis melba nubifugus (Koelz, 1954) [HB#694]
      Original Description: Apus melba nubifuga Koelz, 1954 Contributions from the Institute for Regional Exploration no. 1 p.25 (Raathi [=Rathi], Kumaon, Uttarakhand)
      Distribution: Breeding: W Himalaya from Kashmir, Ladakh through Himachal, Uttarakhand, possibly Sikkim and N Bengal. Winter: C India and possibly further south.
      Type Specimen: UMMZ#142100 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, TNHM
    • 405c. Tachymarptis melba dorabtatai (Abdulali, 1965) [HB#694]
      Original Description: Apus melba dorabtatai Abdulali, 1965 Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 62 p.156. (Ghoti, Nasik, Maharashtra)
      Distribution: NW Deccan and NW Ghats.
      Type Specimen: BNHS#20027 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS
      Notes: Specimens in the BNHS apart from the holotype are #11560, #19306, #19725, and #22809.
    • 405d. Tachymarptis melba bakeri (Hartert, 1928) [HB#695]
      Original Description: Apus melba bakeri Hartert, 1928 Novitates Zoologicae 34 p.363
      Distribution: SW India south of Jog falls and SE Ghats.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, AMNH
      Notes: Distribution in S India following Abdulali (1965, JBNHS 62 (1): 154) contra RA2012:259, who restricts this subspecies only to Sri Lanka, with W Ghats birds being listed under dorabtatai.
  
  
• Apus Scopoli, 1777 Introductio ad historiam naturalem sistens genera lapidum, plantarum, et animalium hactenus detecta, caracteribus essentialibus donata, in tribus divisa, subinde ad leges naturae p.483 Hirundo apus Linnaeus, 1758; Type by tautonymy
  • 406. Dark-rumped Swift Apus acuticauda (Jerdon, 1864) [HB#698]
    Original Description: Cypselus acuticauda Jerdon, 1864 The birds of India; being a natural history of all the birds known to inhabit continental India: with descriptions of the species, genera, families, tribes, and orders, and a brief notice of such families as are not found in India, making it a manual of ornithology specially adapted for India 3 ("2 pt2") p.870
    Taxonomy: Includes rupchandi Koelz 1954 from Blue Mountain, Mizoram.
    Alternative Names: Khasi Hills Swift
    Distribution: Garo and Khasi hills in Meghalaya, locally in hills of Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
    Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM
    IUCN: Near Threatened. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-I.
  
  
  • 407. Pacific Swift Apus pacificus (Latham, 1801)
    Alternative Names: [Fork-tailed Swift, Large White-rumped Swift]
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 407a. Apus pacificus pacificus (Latham, 1801) [HB#699]
      Original Description: Hirundo pacifica Latham, 1801 Supplementum indicis ornithologici, sive systematis ornithologiæ p.lviii
      Taxonomy: Leader et al. (2020, IB 16 (5): 136) did not distinguish the subspecies of the specimen in YPM, but presumably is of this taxon. The specimens in BNHS are tagged as A. p. kanoi Yamashina 1942 (Leader et al. 2020, IB 16 (5): 135) – however, they were supposedly meant for the Tibetan breeding salimalii Lack 1958. All regional specimens are considered to be pacificus sensu stricto.
      Distribution: Vagrant (?). Historically reported from Golaghat and Cachar (both Assam).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, YPM
  
  
  • 408. Blyth's Swift Apus leuconyx (Blyth, 1845) [HB#700]
    Original Description: Cypselus leuconyx Blyth, 1845 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 14 p.212 (Kolkata)
    Taxonomy: Sometimes treated as a subspecies of A. pacificus (Avilist). ZSI register erronously lists both 35614-15 as 'Holotype' (instead of syntypes).
    Distribution: Along the Himalaya from Kashmir and Ladakh till Arunachal as well as hills of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Winter: Also, in SW India from Ratnagiri (W Maharashtra) south till Kerala at least. Reported from intervening areas using passage migration.
    Type Specimen: ZSI#35615 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM
    IUCN: Not Recognised. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Wintering birds in S and Little Andaman could be this species or Pacific Swift. Situation unresolved.
  
  
  • 409. House Swift Apus nipalensis (Hodgson, 1837)
    Alternative Names: Nepal House Swift
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 409a. Apus nipalensis nipalensis (Hodgson, 1837) [HB#705]
      Original Description: Cypselus Nipalensis Hodgson, 1837 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 5 p.780
      Taxonomy: See Packert et al. (2012, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 63 (3): 610) for recommendation on keeping it under A. affinis.
      Distribution: Sikkim, W Bengal, Assam, Arunachal, and all NE hill states as well as once to Little Andaman Is.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, FMNH, YPM
      Notes: Range poorly worked out; where this taxon overlaps with Little Swift in E India is unknown. Andaman birds tentatively parked under this though subfurcatus also possible.
    • [Apus nipalensis subfurcatus (Blyth, 1849) [HB#706]]
      Original Description: Cypselus subfurcatus Blyth, 1849 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 18 p.807
      Distribution: E Assam.
      Specimens: ZSI, AMNH, YPM
      Notes: RA2012 considers this subspecies as hypothetical in E Assam. Specimens tagged as this subspecies from Cachar (AMNH#635631, YPM#042639) and Tripura (ZSI #38711-23) could be correct but not investigated.
  
  
  • 410. Little Swift Apus affinis (Gray, 1830)
    Alternative Names: Indian House Swift; House Swift (with A. nipalensis)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 410a. Apus affinis affinis (Gray, 1830) [HB#703]
      Original Description: Cypselus affinis Gray, 1830 Illustrations of Indian zoology; chiefly selected from the collection of Major-General Hardwicke, F. R. S. 1 pt2 pl.35 fig.2 (Ganga)
      Distribution: Kashmir down south through N, NW, and W India and south through Tamil Nadu except SW India.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, RBINS, UMMZ, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, LKO, FTLB
    • 410b. Apus affinis singalensis Madarász, 1911 [HB#704]
      Original Description: Apus singalensis Madarász, 1911 Annales Historico-naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 9 p.420 pl.16 fig.4
      Distribution: SW India.
      Specimens: NHMUK, TNHM, FTLB
  
  
  • 411. Common Swift Apus apus (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Original Description: Hirundo Apus Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.192
    Alternative Names: Swift
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 411a. Apus apus pekinensis (Swinhoe, 1870) [HB#696]
      Original Description: Cypselus pekinensis Swinhoe, 1870 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 p.435
      Distribution: Breeding: Gilgit, Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal in the W Himalaya. Widespread in passage throughout the S peninsula and Lakshadweep. Sporadic elsewhere.
      Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, USNM, ZSIKZ
  
  
• Collocalia Gray, 1840 A list of the genera of birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus p.8 Hirundo esculenta Linnaeus, 1758; Type by original designation
  • 412. Plume-toed Swiftlet Collocalia affinis Beavan, 1867
    Taxonomy: Sometimes continues to be treated as a subspecies of extralimital Collocalia esculenta (Linnaeus, 1758) (see HBW/BLI).
    Alternative Names: [White-bellied Swiftlet, Glossy Swiftlet]
    IUCN: Not Recognised. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 412a. Collocalia affinis affinis Beavan, 1867 [HB#687]
      Original Description: Collocalia affinis Beavan, 1867 Ibis p.318 (Port Blair, South Andaman Is.)
      Distribution: All islands in the chain of Andaman & Nicobar Is.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, FMNH
  
  
• Aerodramus Oberholser, 1906 Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 58 p.179,182 Collocalia innominata Hume, 1873; Type by original designation
  • 413. Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor (Jerdon, 1840) [HB#685]
    Original Description: Hirundo unicolor Jerdon, 1840 Madras Journal of Literature and Science 11 p.238 (Coonoor Pass)
    Alternative Names: Indian Edible-nest Swiftlet
    Distribution: W India from Surat Dangs (Gujarat), W Maharashtra, Goa, coastal and hilly Karnataka including Biligirirangans, Kerala and adjoining Tamil Nadu in associated hill ranges in Nilgiris and Palanis – sometimes also reported off-shore waters in Arabian Sea.
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, FMNH, YPM, TNHM
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-I.
  
  
  • 414. Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris (Horsfield, 1840)
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 414a. Aerodramus brevirostris brevirostris (Horsfield, 1840) [HB#683]
      Original Description: Hirundo brevirostris Horsfield, 1840 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Pt7 no.82 p.155 (Assam)
      Distribution: Along the Himalaya from Himachal, Uttarakhand, N Bihar, Sikkim, N Bengal, Arunachal, and all the NE hill states.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.1.1.4718 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, FMNH, YPM
    • 414b. Aerodramus brevirostris innominatus (Hume, 1873) [HB#684]
      Original Description: Collocalia innominata Hume, 1873 Stray Feathers 1 p.294 (Port Mouat, Ferrargunj, S Andaman Is,)
      Distribution: Vagrant. S Andaman Is.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.8.1.273 (Holotype).
      Specimens: NHMUK
      Notes: Interestingly, no other reports after the type specimen was collected from Andaman Is. in 1873. Narcondam Is. report not evaluated.
  
  
  • 415. Edible-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus (Thunberg, 1812)
    Original Description: Hirundo Fuciphaga Thunberg, 1812 Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 33 p.153
    Alternative Names: Andaman Grey-rumped Swiftlet A. f. inexpectatus; White-nest Swiftlet
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Not scheduled.
    • 415a. Aerodramus fuciphagus inexpectatus (Hume, 1873) [HB#686]
      Original Description: Collocalia inexpectata Hume, 1873 Stray Feathers 1 p.296 (Andaman Is)
      Distribution: N, Middle, S, and Little Andaman as well as associated islets around it like Paget, Havelock, Neil, Ross (Netaji), and Tarmugli Is. where they extensively breed as well as all C Nicobar group (Tillanchong, Teresa, Bompuka, Kamorta, Trinket, and Katchall Is.) and Great Nicobar Is.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.8.1.308 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK