{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | image = Aerodramus hirundinaceus - avocat - 316991124.jpeg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2024 |title=''Aerodramus hirundinaceus'' |article-number=e.T22686525A263674570 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22686525A263674570.en}}</ref> | genus = Aerodramus | species = hirundinaceus | authority = (Stresemann, 1914) | synonyms = ''Collocalia hirundinacea'' }}

The '''mountain swiftlet''' ('''''Aerodramus hirundinaceus''''') is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to the island of New Guinea and the nearby islands of Karkar, Yapen and Goodenough. It was once placed in the genus ''Collocalia'' but has been moved, with many others, to ''Aerodramus''. The species is divided into three subspecies,<ref name= ITIS>[https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=178017 ITIS standard report page for ''Aerodramus'']</ref> with the nominate, ''A. h. hirundinacea'' ranging over most of New Guinea, the subspecies ''A. h. excelsus'' occurring over 1600 m in the Snow Mountains and Cartenz peaks of Irian Jaya and ''A. h. baru'' being restricted to Yapen Island.<ref name ="HBW">Chantler, P. (1999) "Family Apodidae (Swifts) ''in'' del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1999). ''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 5: Barn-Owls to Hummingbirds.'' Lynx Edicions. {{ISBN|84-87334-25-3}} P. 428.</ref> It occurs in alpine areas from 500 m to the treeline. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests and other mountainous habitats in New Guinea. It also occurs in lower numbers in the lowlands near hills.

The mountain swiftlet is a medium-sized swiftlet, 11–13&nbsp;cm long. It has dark brown upperparts and paler grey undersides. The tail is slightly forked. The subspecies vary slightly from the nominate race, ''A. h. baru'' has browner underparts and darker upperparts, while ''A. h. excelsus'' is larger than the nominate race. Like other members of the genus this species is able to echolocate, a trait it uses to navigate itself in the caves it breeds in.

Like the rest of its genus it breeds in caves, constructing nests of vegetation such as ferns, rootlets and grasses, or lichens, held together with saliva.<ref name = "Emu">Tarburton, Michael K. (2003) "The breeding biology of the Mountain Swiftlet, ''Aerodramus hirundinaceus'', in Irian Jaya" ''Emu'' '''103''' (2): 177 - 182 {{doi|10.1071/MU00081}}</ref> They are colonial, but the caves examined so far do not suggest that they nest densely. The peak of the breeding season is October through December, but there are occupied nests through most of the year. The clutch size is a single egg for this species. The nestling period, between 57 and 74 days, is one of the longer chick raising periods of any swifts. This is counteracted by a comparatively high breeding success rate, with 61% of mountain swiftlets successfully raising chicks.<ref name = "Emu"/>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

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Category:Aerodramus Category:Birds of the New Guinea Highlands Category:Birds described in 1914 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot