Common Swift

Apus apus (Linnaeus, 1758)

2013-05-22 Sorbulak lake, Almaty region	© Vassiliy Fedorenko

Distribution

Breeds almost everywhere in Kazakhstan. Please see the detailed distribution in Kazakhstan in the section Subspecies.

Biology

Common breeding migrant. Inhabits clay or rocky precipices, chinks, caves, villages and towns, steppe forest-patches. Arrives in small flocks in April to early June. Breeds in colonies. Nest is built from pieces of grass, hair and feathers pasted together with saliva; nest is located in tree holes, nest-boxes, precipice cracks or under building roof. Clutch of 2-4 eggs is laid in mid-May – June, juveniles fledge in July. Both parents incubate clutch and care for chicks. Autumn migration begins from end of July in flocks of several dozen to hundred birds. Disappears in most breeding areas until the end of August – early September, odd birds linger up to mid-October.

Subspecies

Apus apus apus (Linnaeus, 1758) Description. General colour darker than pekinensis, forehead is same colour as back or somewhat lighter; the light spot on throat is dirty-white and less than pekinensis. Distribution. Breeds in northern part of Kazakhstan, in south to lower reaches of Emba river, Aral Sea, Balkhash lake, Zaysan lake and eastern part of Dzhungarskiy Alatau. On migration occurs in south from said range and also in mountains of Western Altai and in upper reaches of Bukhtarma river.

Apus apus pekinensis (Swinhoe, 1870) Description. General colour lighter than apus, forehead greyish and lighter than back; the light spot on throat is purer white and larger than apus. Distribution. Breeds in southern part of Kazakhstan: in Ustyurt, Kyzylkum desert, Tien Shan and area adjacent to Balkhash lake from south (in Bakanas 30 June 2001). In said range occurs on migration.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург, Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.