Description:

Very large swift with broad wings and shallowly forked tail. Best told by white throat with brown breast-band, and white breast and belly contrasting with brown underwing, flanks and vent. Birds breeding in the Himalayas have mid-brown upperparts and wings, paler brown than Common Swift.

Distribution:

Common summer visitor the western areas of Ghizer and Diamer districts, neighboring Chitral and Malakhand. Typically occurs in mountains with cliffs but occasionally in lowlands and also old habitations, up to 3500m. Roosts in cliff crevices.

Behavior:

Usually forages high, but will feed at low levels, especially during inclement weather. Will feed at night either where lights attract insects or even in total darkness. Food mostly comprises of flies, beetles, aphids, wasps, spiders, cicadas and lacewings; and occasionally ants, butterflies, wood wasps, honeybees and dragonflies.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Alpine Swift in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Alpine Swift

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.