Bali - Swift (1 Viewer)

[Crodol]

Bali (Indonesia) - Swift

I find it so difficult to get a good shot of those swift swifts... Well, at least I tried.

Any idea which species that might be?

 

[xavierschmit]

Where did you make this observation? What habitat (Rocky area, montane lake, cliffs on coast, e.t.c.)? What was the bird doing that moment? This is important information when it comes to identifying swifts...

 

[Crodol]

It was in Jimbaran Bay, very close to the coast; the swifts were hunting at the coast and then came to the swimming pool of the hotel to drink water. The coast itself is sandy with mangroves and other trees.

 

[xavierschmit]

If it's rump would have a little less white I'd say it looks like a Spine-Tailed Swift (Hirundapus caudacutus), but the pictures really are a bit hard to make out. It would also mean that the bird would've been migrating, for it's breeding in Central Asia and wintering in South Australia, but after all it seems a bit late for migration now. If the undersides of the wings would be more reddish it'd be likely to be a Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis), which spends all year in Indonesia and the same counts for the Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus), i.e. more reddish... The Silver-backed N. also has more white on its rump - Actually I'd guess on H. cochinchinensis

 

[Hanno]

Glossy Swiftlet springs to mind, but I just cannot remember what else is there.

 

[Crodol]

Looking at "Birds of Southeast Asia" the closest match seems to be the Glossy Swiftlet, especially as the underside of the body is reasonably well defined white.

xavierschmit, you're obviously a swift-specialist... what makes you discard the Glossy Swiftlet?

 

[Chlidonias]

it is the cave swiftlet (Collocalia linchi), which in Bali and Java replaces the glossy swiftlet. The cave swiftlet is the commonest swift in Bali (everywhere on the island) and is the only one that looks like this one pictured

 

[Mat & Cathy]

I agree with "Chlidonias".

Hard to get a clear shot - my best effort is here:
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/270981/ppuser/16212

cheers
Mat