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 NeedletailHirundapus caudacutus (Latham, 1801) Alternative Names: White-throated Spinetail Swift IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
400a. Hirundapus caudacutus caudacutus Latham, 1801 Original Description:Hirundocaudacuta 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 NeedletailHirundapus cochinchinensis (Oustalet, 1878) Alternative Names: Cochinchina Spinetail Swift IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
[Hirundapus cochinchinensis rupchandi (Biswas, 1951) [HB#689]] Original Description:Chaeturacochinchinensisrupchandi 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:Chaeturacochinchinensis 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 NeedletailHirundapus giganteus (Temminck, 1825) Original Description:Cypselusgiganteus 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:Chaeturaindica 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 Chaeturagrandidieri Schlegel ; Type by original designation = Chaeturagrandidieri Verreaux, 1867
403. White-rumped SpinetailZoonavena sylvatica (Tickell, 1846) [HB#692] Original Description:Acanthylissylvatica 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 Cypselusambrosiacus Temminck, 1828; Type by monotypy = Cypselusparvus Lichtenstein, 1823
404. Asian Palm SwiftCypsiurus balasiensis (Gray, 1829) IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
404a. Cypsiurus balasiensis balasiensis (Gray, 1829) [HB#707] Original Description:CypselusBalasiensis 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:Cypselusinfumatus 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 Hirundomelba Linnaeus, 1758; Type by original designation
405. Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba (Linnaeus, 1758) Original Description:HirundoMelba 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:Apusmelbatuneti 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:Apusmelbanubifuga 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:Apusmelbadorabtatai 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:Apusmelbabakeri 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 Hirundoapus Linnaeus, 1758; Type by tautonymy
406. Dark-rumped SwiftApus acuticauda (Jerdon, 1864) [HB#698] Original Description:Cypselusacuticauda 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 SwiftApus 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:Hirundopacifica 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 SwiftApus leuconyx (Blyth, 1845) [HB#700] Original Description:Cypselusleuconyx 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 SwiftApus nipalensis (Hodgson, 1837) Alternative Names: Nepal House Swift IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
409a. Apus nipalensis nipalensis (Hodgson, 1837) [HB#705] Original Description:CypselusNipalensis 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:Cypselussubfurcatus 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 SwiftApus 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:Cypselusaffinis 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:Apussingalensis Madarász, 1911 Annales Historico-naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 9 p.420 pl.16 fig.4 Distribution: SW India. Specimens: NHMUK, TNHM, FTLB
411. Common SwiftApus apus (Linnaeus, 1758) Original Description:HirundoApus 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:Cypseluspekinensis 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 Hirundoesculenta Linnaeus, 1758; Type by original designation
412. Plume-toed SwiftletCollocalia 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:Collocaliaaffinis 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 Collocaliainnominata Hume, 1873; Type by original designation
413. Indian SwiftletAerodramus unicolor (Jerdon, 1840) [HB#685] Original Description:Hirundounicolor 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.
414a. Aerodramus brevirostris brevirostris (Horsfield, 1840) [HB#683] Original Description:Hirundobrevirostris 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:Collocaliainnominata 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 SwiftletAerodramus fuciphagus (Thunberg, 1812) Original Description:HirundoFuciphaga 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:Collocaliainexpectata 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