Pacific Swift

1. Large, powerful swift with a bright white rump band

2. Deeply forked tail and long, sickle-shaped wings

3. Both sexes look alike; juveniles have pale wing feather edges

Pacific Swifts breed in colonies across eastern Asia, nesting in caves, rock crevices, or under the eaves of buildings. The nest is a half-cup of grass and feathers glued together with saliva and attached to a vertical surface. The female lays two or three white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about 17 days. Both adults feed and brood the chicks, which fledge after approximately 4 days. These swifts feed exclusively on insects caught in flight, often hunting higher than other swifts and sometimes foraging until late at night in their breeding areas.

Pacific Swifts are present in Australia from September to April, favouring open skies above forests, coasts, towns, and arid regions. They are often seen foraging at high altitudes, sometimes in enormous flocks, especially during migration. Look for them on warm afternoons when insect activity is high, and listen for their sharp, trilling calls. Their white rump band and distinctive flight silhouette make them visible even at great heights`.`