Common name
Fork-tailed Swift
Alternate name
Pacific Swift
Comment
JAMBA/CAMBA - International Migratory Bird Agreement
Stronghold population
False
Regionally significant/rationale
True
Restricted distribution/rationale
False
Historical abundance
Insufficient data
Overall distribution
Siberia, Himilayas, east to Japan, south-east Asia
Local distribution
Almost exclusively aerial, summer migrant. Breeds in Asia and spends non-breeding summer months in Australia. Reported more frequently in settled areas may reflect bias of more observers
Known location
Biggera Waters, Tallai, Coombabah, Helensvale, Guanaba, Lamington NP
Other locality
An uncommon aerial feeder, likely anywhere on the Gold Coast but especially during weather changes.
General ecology
Not tied to any habitat; feeds in the air above the forest, usually close to coast.
Habitat comment
Aerial insectivore
Migration notes
Uncommon summer migrant
Diet
Insects caught on the wing
Breeding season
Summer, northern hemisphere
Active season
October to April
Behaviour
Except for their breeding grounds , Folk-Tailed Swifts spend all day and most, if not all, nights on the wing, hunting, resting, and even sleeping. Occasional mass movements, associated with late summer low-pressure systems, into east Australia and Tasmania.
They are attracted to scrub fires, feeding around smoke columns, and make extensive use of thermal currents for glidding and feeding.
Biology
Identification: Length 17 cm. Wings long, slender and curving; body cigar-shaped; long fork-tail,pale throat; pure white rump.
Citations
Pizzey & Knight 1997, Reader's Digest 1988, Stanger et.al. 1998.
