Cook's swift: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Species of bird}}

{{Taxobox

{{Speciesbox

| name = Cook's swift

| image =

| status =

| status_ref =

| regnumtaxon = [[Animal]]iaApus cooki

| authority = ([[Herbert Hastings Harington|Harington]], 1913)

| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]

| classis = [[Bird|Aves]]

| ordo = [[swift|Apodiformes]]

| familia = [[Apodidae]]

| genus = ''[[Apus (genus)|Apus]]''

| species = '''''A. cooki'''''

| binomial = ''Apus cooki''

| binomial_authority = (Harington, 1913)

}}

The '''Cook's swift''' ('''''Apus cooki'''''), is a small [[bird]], superficially similar to a [[house martin]]. It is, however, completely unrelated to those [[passerine]] species, since [[Swift (bird)|swift]]s are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to [[convergent evolution]] reflecting similar life styles.

These birds have very short legs which they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces. The scientific name comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] απους, ''apous'', meaning "without feet". They never settle voluntarily on the ground. Blyth's Swiftsswifts spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their beaks.

Cook's swifts breed in limestone caves of [[Thailand]], [[Myanmar]] and [[Indochina]]. The species has a green iridescence, a shallow tail fork and is a short distance migrant. A 2011 study has many taxonomists splitting this species from the [[fork-tailed swift]] complex.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Leader, P J. |year=2011|title= Taxonomy of the Pacific Swift Apus pacificus Latham, 1802, complex|journal= Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club |volume=131|pages=81–93}}</ref>

These swifts build their nests on cliffs, laying 2-32–3 eggs. A swift will return to the same site year after year, rebuilding its nest when necessary.

Cook's swifts are similar in size to [[common swift]], and they are black except for a white rump. They can be distinguished from a partially [[leucistic]] common swift by the deeper tail fork, longer wings, bigger head and larger white throat patch.

==References==

{{reflistReflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1268740}}

[[Category:Apus (genus)]]

[[Category:Apus (genus)|Cook's swift]]

[[Category:Birds of Myanmar]]

[[Category:Birds of Thailand]]

[[Category:Birds of Cambodia]]

[[Category:Birds of Vietnam]]

[[Category:Birds of Hainan]]

[[Category:Birds described in 1913|Cook's swift]]