Pacific Swift

Apus pacificus (Latham, 1801)

2020-06-18 Eastern Kazakhstan, Ridder	© Konstantin Andrussenko

Distribution

Breeds and occurs on migration in Southwest Altai at basins of Uba, Ul’ba, Bukhtarma rivers and on Markakol’ lake. Many birds recorded in end July – early August 2003 on Rakhmanovskoe and Yazevoe lakes (Prokopov, 2004).

Biology

Rare breeding migrant. Inhabits rock cliffs up to upper part of forest belt (1700-2000 m.). Arrives in end April – mid-May. Breeding in colonies of several up to 50 pairs. Nest is built in rock cracks from pieces of grass, hair and feathers, pasted together with saliva. Clutches of 2-3 eggs in end May - June. One bird with grass in bill was observed 3 July 1960, fresh egg on Eagle Mt. was found 22 June 1961, and juveniles in nests recorded 10 July 1947. Flocks of adults and juveniles were observed in 30 July 1980.

References

Рябицев В. К., Ковшарь А. Ф., Ковшарь В. А., Березовиков Н. Н. «Полевой определитель птиц Казахстана», Алматы, 2014.
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.