Mascarene Swiftlet

Mascarene SwiftletA swiftlet of Réunion and Mauritius, it has brown upperparts, a pale rump and a shallowly forked tail. It roosts in caves and lava tubes.What is distinctive about its rump and tail?It has brown upperparts, a whitish rump and a shallowly forked tail, and is about 10.5 cm long.What does it catch in flight, and where does it roost?It catches insects in flight and may feed in groups. It roosts in caves and lava tubes, and breeding has been recorded throughout the year.Near Quatre Bornes, Mauritius, 245 nests were found in a disused building. The birds were no longer present after the building was converted into a commercial centre.At La Possession on Réunion, a disused railway tunnel also held a breeding colony.Keeping it safeAn extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.