Mascarene Swiftlet (Aerodramus francicus)
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Mascarene Swiftlet

Aerodramus francicus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

8.9 gWeight

The Mascarene swiftlet or Mauritius swiftlet (Aerodramus francicus) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: Mauritius, Réunion

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Mascarene Swiftlet has been recorded at 20 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Black River Gorges NPMauritius188 records
  2. Black River Gorges NP – Gorges ViewpointMauritius60 records
  3. Flic en FlacMauritius45 records
More places
  1. Black River Gorge NP – Alexandra FallsMauritius41 records
  2. RN de la Roche Écrite – Sentier de la Roche Ecrite depuis Mamode CampRéunion36 records
  3. Seven Coloured EarthMauritius36 records
  4. Vallée de FerneyMauritius36 records
  5. RN de la Roche ÉcriteRéunion28 records
  6. ChamarelMauritius25 records
  7. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical GardenMauritius25 records

Countries and regions with the most records

MauritiusRéunion

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 Mascarene swiftlet or Mauritius swiftlet (Aerodramus francicus) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

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

Questions

How big is the Mascarene Swiftlet?

The Mascarene Swiftlet weighs around 8.9 g.

Where does the Mascarene Swiftlet live?

Its breeding range: Indian Ocean: Réunion and Mauritius (western, central Mascarenes). It is most often recorded in Mauritius and Réunion.

When is the best time to see the Mascarene Swiftlet?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Mascarene Swiftlet endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mascarene Swiftlet as Near Threatened.

What does the Mascarene Swiftlet eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Mascarene Swiftlet in?

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

At a glance

Weight
8.9 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
109 mm
Tail
47 mm
Bill
6 mm
Tarsus
9 mm

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

Range

Indian Ocean: Réunion and Mauritius (western, central Mascarenes)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Aerodramus

Other birds in the genus Aerodramus

Seychelles SwiftletSeychelles SwiftletAerodramus elaphrusIndian SwiftletIndian SwiftletAerodramus unicolorPhilippine 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
Mascarene Swiftlet

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

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