Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Superordo: Caprimulgimorphae
Ordo: Apodiformes
Familia: Apodidae
Subfamilia: Apodinae
Tribus: Apodini
Genus: Apus
Species: Apus pallidus
Subspecies: A. p. brehmorum – A. p. illyricus – A. p. pallidus
Name
Apus pallidus (Shelley, 1870)
Original combination: Cypselus pallidus
References
Ibis – the International Journal of Avian Science, published by the British Ornithologists' Union 1870: 445
Vernacular names
български: Блед бързолет
brezhoneg: Glaouer gell
català: Falciot pàl·lid
čeština: Rorýs šedohnědý
dansk: Gråsejler
Deutsch: Fahlsegler
Ελληνικά: Ωχροσταχτάρα
English: Pallid Swift
Esperanto: Pala apuso
español: Vencejo Pálido
suomi: Vaaleakiitäjä
français: Martinet pâle
magyar: Halvány sarlósfecske
italiano: Rondone pallido
Nederlands: Vale Gierzwaluw
norsk: Gråseiler
português: Andorinhão-pálido
српски / srpski: Сива чиопа, Siva čiopa
svenska: Blek tornseglare
Türkçe: Boz ebabil
The pallid swift (Apus pallidus) is a small bird, superficially similar to a barn swallow or house martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since the swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles.
Swifts have very short legs which they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces. The genus name Apus is Latin for a swift, thought by the ancients to be a type of swallow with no feet (from Ancient Greek α, a, "without", and πούς, pous, "foot"), and pallidus is Latin for "pale".[2] They never settle voluntarily on the ground. Swifts spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their beaks. They drink on the wing.
Taxonomy
The pallid swift was first described by English naturalist George Ernest Shelley in 1870.
Description
This 16–17 cm (6.3–6.7 in) long species is very similar to the common swift, and separation is only possible with good views. Like its relative, it has a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang.
It is entirely dark except for a large white throat patch which is frequently visible from a distance. It is chunkier and browner than common swift, and the slightly paler flight feathers, underparts and rump give more contrast than that species. It also has a scalier looking belly and subtly different flight action. The call is a loud dry scream similar to that of its relative, though possibly more disyllabic.
Distribution and habitat
Pallid swifts breed on cliffs and eaves around the Mediterranean and on the Canary Islands and Madeira, laying two eggs.
They are rare north of their breeding areas, although they are likely to be under-recorded due to identification problems. Because of its more southerly range, pallid swift arrives earlier and leaves later than the closely related common swift, so particularly early or late swifts north of the normal range should be carefully observed.
Migration
Like swallows, they are migratory, wintering in southern Africa or southeast Asia.
Pallid swifts that breed in Gibraltar have been tracked using GPS technology, and has shown them to have multiple African wintering grounds south of the Sahara at specific times of the year. One bird, tracked over two consecutive winters, showed remarkable fidelity to the areas visited in Africa between years. The study also supports previous findings of an airborne existence in swifts outside the breeding season, with two pallid swifts giving no indication of coming to land.[3]
References
BirdLife International (2019). "Apus pallidus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T22686815A155463151. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22686815A155463151.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 52, 289. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Finlayson, Stewart; Holmes, Tyson Lee; Finlayson, Geraldine; Guillem, Rhian; Perez, Charles; Bensusan, Keith; Finlayson, Clive (30 November 2021). "Birds with multiple homes. The annual cycle of the pallid swift (Apus pallidus brehmorum)". PLOS One. 16 (11: e0259656): e0259656. Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1659656F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259656. PMC 8631615. PMID 34847150.
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