Wildlifeof Bhutan
Salim Ali's Swift
Nightjars, Frogmouths & SwiftsApus salimalii
Also known as: Apus pacificus salimalii
AviList (2026) treats this bird as a subspecies, Apus pacificus salimalii, of the Fork-tailed Swift (Apus pacificus), which is also on this site.
Basic stats
Habitat
Nests on cliffs; breeds on the eastern Tibetan Plateau and in western Sichuan
Range
Breeds on the eastern Tibetan Plateau east to western Sichuan; wintering range unknown
Clutch size
2-3 eggs
Salim Ali's swift is mostly black with a white rump, about the size of a common swift, and differs from similar swifts in its deeper tail fork, longer wings, bigger head and larger white throat patch. It was described by David Lack in 1958, split from the fork-tailed swift complex in a 2011 study, and named for the Indian ornithologist Salim Ali (Wikipedia, general species account).
Like all swifts it has very short legs used only for clinging to vertical surfaces and almost never settles on the ground; it spends most of its life in flight catching insects. It nests on cliffs, laying two or three eggs, and pairs reuse and rebuild the same nest. It is migratory but its wintering range is unknown. The source does not mention Bhutan or the Himalaya, so the Bhutan status of this entry should be checked (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Salim Ali's Swift live in?
- Nests on cliffs; breeds on the eastern Tibetan Plateau and in western Sichuan
- Where is the Salim Ali's Swift found?
- Breeds on the eastern Tibetan Plateau east to western Sichuan; wintering range unknown
- How many eggs does the Salim Ali's Swift lay?
- 2-3 eggs