Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Subsectio: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Euornithes
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Ornithurae
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Ordo: Apodiformes
Familia: Apodidae
Subfamilia: Apodinae
Tribus: Apodini
Genus: Cypsiurus
Species: C. balasiensis – C. gracilis – C. parvus
Name
Cypsiurus Lesson, 1843
References
L'Echo Du Monde Savant (2) 10 no.6 col.134
Vernacular names
English: Palm swift
Cypsiurus is a genus of the swift family of birds.
There are three species
Asian palm swift, Cypsiurus balasiensis
African palm swift, Cypsiurus parvus
Malagasy palm swift, Cypsiurus gracilis
These very similar species were formerly considered to be conspecific.
They have mainly pale brown plumage and long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. The body is slender, and the tail is long and deeply forked, although it is usually held closed. The sexes are similar, and young birds differ from adults mainly in their shorter tails. Palm swifts have very short legs which they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces, since swifts never settle voluntarily on the ground.
These swifts spend most of their lives in the air, living on flying insects. Palm swifts often feed near the ground, and they drink on the wing.
References
Barlow, Wacher and Disley, Birds of The Gambia ISBN 1-873403-32-1
Chantler and Driessens, Swifts ISBN 1-873403-83-6
Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, Birds of India ISBN 0-691-04910-6
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