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==Description== | ==Description== | ||
Noticeably larger than Common Swift, with slower more languid and deliberate wingbeats. | Noticeably larger than Common Swift, with slower more languid and deliberate wingbeats. | ||
Revision as of 00:27, 2 July 2007
- Apus melba
Description
Noticeably larger than Common Swift, with slower more languid and deliberate wingbeats. An Annual visitor to Great Britain usually in spring. Now placed in genus Apus.
Identification
Alpine Swift Apus melba (Tachymarptis melba) RANGE Widespread and fairly common around the Mediterranean. Breeds in much of Spain, particularly the north and east, the Balearics and parts of coastal Portugal, southern France and the Alps, Corsica, Sardina, Sicily and much of Italy. Also found through much of the western Balkans but patchily in the east, on Crete, many other Greek islands and Cyprus. Widespread in Turkey, the Caucasus and Crimea and breeds locally in the Middle East and in at scattered sites across North-West Africa. Beyond Western Palearctic range extends across southern Asia from Arabia to the Himalayas, India and Sri Lanka, and also occurs in eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar.
Migratory, leaving breeding areas September-early October and wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and India. Return movement is mainly in April.
Annually recorded north to British Isles (c.480 records), mainly on east and south coasts in March-November with peaks in May-June and September-October. Vagrants also recorded in Iceland and Scandinavia and most northern European countries, west to Madeira and east to Iraq.
HABITAT Occurs in mountains, sea-cliffs and inland gorges, also urban areas. Breeds on tall buildings and crevices in cliff faces, feeds over virtually any kind of country.
Subspecies Eight races recognised. Nominate melba occurs over European range, northern Morocco and east to the Himalayas, in the south of Morocco and throughout remainder of North Africa to South-West Asia it is replaced by the paler and greyer tuneti but intermediates occur over large areas. Race archeri is found in Somalia, maximus on Mt Ruwenzori, africanus in much of eastern and southern Africa, marjoriae in Namibia, willsi in Madagascar and bakeri in southern India and Sri Lanka.
