Wildlifeof Bhutan
Alpine Swift
Nightjars, Frogmouths & Swifts
Photo: Paul F Donald · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Tachymarptis melba
Basic stats
Diet
Insects, caught in flight
Habitat
Mountains
Range
Breeds in mountains from southern Europe to the Himalaya
Size
20–22cm
Wingspan
54–60cm
The alpine swift is a large swift, 20 to 22cm long with a wingspan of 54 to 60cm, with broad wings and a shallowly forked tail. It is superficially similar to a large barn swallow or house martin though unrelated, as swifts are in the order Apodiformes (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds in mountains from southern Europe to the Himalaya. The sources opened give no breeding detail, diet or status in Bhutan, so none is stated, and the entry is kept short.
Quick answers
- What does the Alpine Swift eat?
- Insects, caught in flight
- What habitat does the Alpine Swift live in?
- Mountains
- Where is the Alpine Swift found?
- Breeds in mountains from southern Europe to the Himalaya
- How big is the Alpine Swift?
- 20–22cm
- What is the wingspan of the Alpine Swift?
- 54–60cm