Very few birders have had the opportunity to have an Australian
Swiftlet in hand and actually appreciate some of their finer attributes.
Through the week I collected one on the Cook Highway which appeared
uninjured and in a rescue mission kept it overnight for release next
morning.
In hand the swiftlet is very much like a minniature nightjar in
profile with the placement of their eyes well forward in the head along
with a very broad gape. The bill is somewhat more hooked than a nightjar.
To avoid stress on the bird I left it wrapped in a tea towel
overnight on the seat of my tour bus. To my surprise the next morning it
was perched on the fabric seat cover. With assisted wing movement the
swiftlet was able to move to the top of the seat without any effort.
Their feet are small to the point of looking ineffective however I can
well imagine that they can freely move around the walls of caves easily.
Initially when on the roadway it was apparent that it was unable to
take flight from a flat surface and would roll forward at each attempt.
Sadly the swiftlet was unable to become strong enough to take flight and
now is with the CSIRO in Atherton as a specimen.
Del. Richards, Fine Feather Tours, Mossman, NQ.
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