AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

1612. Collocalia francica inexpectata

(1612) Collocalia francica inexpectata Hume.
THE ANDAMAN GREY-RUMPED SWIFTLET.
Collocalia francica inexpectata, Fauna B. I., Birds, 2nd ed. vol. iv, p. 350.
This form of Grey-rumped Swiftlet is a resident in the South Andamans, Nicobars, Pulo Tioman and islands and coasts of Southern Malay. It has also occurred once in Tenasserim but does not breed there.
Osmaston found this bird breeding round the coasts of the Andaman Islands in March and early April in small caves on the rocky shores. The birds were apparently breeding in small colonies of about 25 to 100 pairs, fixing their nests to the roofs and upper sides of the caves. The nests he describes as being made of “pure white semi-translucent inspissated saliva, a half cup, stuck up against the sloping roof,” The Cave he describes as small, the floor being just above high-water level and the roof about 10 feet from the ground. In length it was about 12 feet and half that in width, yet it held about 100 nests. Two of the latter, sent to me from the South Cinque Islands, taken by Osmaston, are made of innumerable threads of saliva cris-crossed in every direction, and forming a bottom of about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick, the walls a little thicker with a strong rim round the edge. Where also the nest is attached to the wall the base and edges are a trifle stouter. In both the nests sent to me there are tiny bits of moss and a few small feathers incorporated, but the greater proportion of the nest is saliva only. One nest is a deep half-cup measuring just under inches where it was affixed to the roof and about 1.1/2 across the half-cup, while it is over an inch deep. The other is just over 2.1/2 inches across the longer diameter, but is a very shallow half-saucer, not 1/4 inch deep.
The eggs are, of course, two in number os usual, forty-eight averaging 20.2 x 13.6 mm. : maxima 21.3 x 13.5 and 20.9 x 14.0 mm, ; minima 18.5 x 13.1 and 19.7 x 13.0 mm.

BookTitle: 
The Nidification Of Birds Of The Indian Empire
Reference: 
Baker, Edward Charles Stuart. The nidification of birds of the Indian Empire. Vol. 3. 1934.
Title in Book: 
1612. Collocalia francica inexpectata
Spp Author: 
Hume.
Book Author: 
Edward Charles Stuart Baker
CatNo: 
1612
Year: 
1934
Page No: 
472
Common name: 
Andaman Grey Rumped Swiftlet
M_ID: 
7581
M_SN: 
Aerodramus fuciphagus inexpectatus
Volume: 
Vol. 3
id: 
14768

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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith