Indian Swiftlet (Aerodramus unicolor)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Indian Swiftlet

Aerodramus unicolor (Jerdon, 1840)

12 cmLength11 gWeight

The Indian Swiftlet or Indian Edible-Nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus unicolor) is a small swift.

Busiest months: December–February · Most records: Sri Lanka, India

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December–February · Most records: Sri Lanka, India

Indian Swiftlet has been recorded at 101 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PookodeIndia545 records
  2. Thattekkad Bird SanctuaryIndia516 records
  3. Thattekad Bird Sanctuary – UrulanthanniIndia465 records
More places
  1. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural HistoryIndia387 records
  2. Sinharaja Forest ReserveSri Lanka361 records
  3. Browns Hill, MataraSri Lanka276 records
  4. KitulgalaSri Lanka253 records
  5. Kitulgala – Kelani Valley/Makandawa Forest ReserveSri Lanka230 records
  6. Uda Walawe NPSri Lanka217 records
  7. Yala National ParkSri Lanka197 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Sri LankaIndia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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 southwest India.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Indian Swiftlet?

The Indian Swiftlet is about 12 cm long and weighs around 11 g.

Where does the Indian Swiftlet live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: southwestern India and Sri Lanka. It is most often recorded in Sri Lanka and India.

When is the best time to see the Indian Swiftlet?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Indian Swiftlet endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Indian Swiftlet as Least Concern.

What does the Indian Swiftlet eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Indian Swiftlet in?

It belongs to the family Swifts (Apodidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Length
12 cm
Weight
11 g
Habitat
Rocky terrain
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
113 mm
Tail
52 mm
Bill
7 mm
Tarsus
10 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: southwestern India and Sri Lanka

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Aerodramus

Other birds in the genus Aerodramus

Seychelles SwiftletSeychelles SwiftletAerodramus elaphrusMascarene SwiftletMascarene SwiftletAerodramus francicusPhilippine SwiftletPhilippine SwiftletAerodramus mearnsiMoluccan SwiftletMoluccan SwiftletAerodramus infuscatusMountain SwiftletMountain SwiftletAerodramus hirundinaceusWhite-rumped SwiftletWhite-rumped SwiftletAerodramus spodiopygiusAustralian SwiftletAustralian SwiftletAerodramus terraereginaeHimalayan SwiftletHimalayan SwiftletAerodramus brevirostrisVolcano SwiftletVolcano SwiftletAerodramus vulcanorumWhitehead's SwiftletWhitehead's SwiftletAerodramus whiteheadiBare-legged SwiftletBare-legged SwiftletAerodramus nuditarsusMayr's SwiftletMayr's SwiftletAerodramus orientalis
Indian Swiftlet

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages