Recorded on New Ireland and Guadalcanal, this swiftlet has a black back, a broad pale-grey rump and sooty-brown underparts.
It has a short, shallowly forked tail, black upperparts, a broad pale-gray rump, and sooty-brown underparts.
It is believed to inhabit highlands and remain on its home islands throughout the year.
The nominate subspecies on Guadalcanal has a few feathers on the lower legs; leletensis on New Ireland has unfeathered lower legs.
The New Ireland subspecies leletensis has a strong bluish sheen above. The nominate Guadalcanal form has a broader, slightly paler grey rump band.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.