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Treeswifts
Crested treeswift (H. coronata)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Hemiprocnidae Oberholser, 1906
Genus:	Hemiprocne Nitzsch, 1829
Species
4., see text.

Treeswifts or crested swifts are a family, the Hemiprocnidae, of aerial near passerine birds, closely related to the true swifts. The family contains a single genus, Hemiprocne, with four species. They are distributed from India and Southeast Asia through Indonesia to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Treeswifts are small to medium-sized swifts, ranging in length from 15 to 30 cm. They have long wings, with most of the length coming from the length of the primaries; their arms are actually quite short. They visibly differ from the other swifts in matters of plumage, which is softer, and they have crests or other facial ornaments, and long, forked tails. Anatomically they are separated from the true swifts by skeletal details in the cranium and palate, the anatomy of the tarsus, and a nonreversible hind toe that is used for perching on branches (an activity in which true swifts are unable to engage). The males have iridescent mantle plumage. They also have diastataxic wings, that is they lack a fifth secondary feather unlike swifts in the Apodini, which are eutaxic.

The treeswifts exhibit a wide range of habitat preferences. One species, the whiskered treeswift, is a species belonging to primary forest. Highly manoeuvrable, it feeds close to vegetation beneath the canopy, and only rarely ventures into secondary forests or plantations, but never over open ground. Other species are less restricted; the crested treeswift makes use of a range of habitats including humid forests and deciduous woodland, and the grey-rumped treeswift occupies almost every habitat type available from the mangrove forests to hill forests. All species feed on insects, although exact details of what prey are taken has not been studied in detail.

Nest-building responsibilities are shared by the male and female. They lay one egg in the nest, which is glued to an open tree branch. Egg colour varies from white to grey. Little information is available about incubation times, but they are thought to be longer for the larger species. Chicks hatch with a covering of grey down and are fed a bolus of regurgitated food by the parents.

Species

References

1. ^ Collins, Charles T. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. p. 136. ISBN 978-1-85391-186-6.
2. Miller, W. DeW. (1912). "Revision of the Classification of the Kingfishers" (PDF). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 30: 239–311.
3. Bostwick, Kimberly S; Brady, Matthew J (2002). "Phylogenetic Analysis of Wing Feather Taxis in Birds: Macroevolutionary Patterns of Genetic Drift?". The Auk. 119 (4): 943. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2002)119[0943:PAOWFT]2.0.CO;2.

Further reading

• 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

v t e Genera of nightjars, hummingbirds, swifts and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Passerea Clade: Strisores
Strisores †Archaeotrogonidae Archaeodromus Archaeotrogon Hassiavis Caprimulgiformes †"Wyomingcypselus" Caprimulgidae †Ventivorus Caprimulginae Antrostomus Caprimulgus Eleothreptus Gactornis Hydropsalis Macropsalis Nyctidromus Nyctiphrynus Nyctipolus Phalaenoptilus Setopagis Siphonorhis Systellura Uropsalis Veles Chordeilinae Chordeiles Lurocalis Nyctiprogne Eurostopodinae Eurostopodus Lyncornis Vanescaves Sedentaves Steatornithiformes †Euronyctibius †Prefica †Protocypselomorphus †Fluvioviridavidae Fluvioviridavis Steatornithidae Steatornis Nyctibiiformes Nyctibiidae †Parapreficinae Paraprefica Nyctibiinae Nyctibius Phyllaemulor Letornithes Podargiformes Podargiformes †Masillapodargus †Quercypodargus Podargidae Batrachostomus Podargus Rigidipenna Apodimorphae See below ↓
Apodimorphae †Eocypselidae Eocypselus Daedalornithes incertae sedis †Palescyvus Aegotheliformes †Quipollornis Aegothelidae Aegotheles Apodiformes †Cypseloramphus? †Aegialornithidae Aegialornis Primapus Procuculus? †Cypselavidae Argornis Cypselavus Parargornis †Jungornithidae Jungornis Trochiloidea See below ↓ Apodidae See below ↓
Trochiloidea incertae sedis †Eurotrochilus Trochilidae Florisuginae Florisuga Topaza Phaethornithinae Anopetia Eutoxeres Glaucis Phaethornis Ramphodon Threnetes Polytminae Androdon Anthracothorax Augastes Avocettula Chrysolampis Colibri Doryfera Eulampis Heliactin Heliothryx Polytmus Schistes Polytminae Heliantheini Aglaeactis Boissonneaua Coeligena Eriocnemis Ensifera Haplophaedia Heliodoxa Lafresnaya Loddigesia Ocreatus Pterophanes Urochroa Urosticte Lesbiini Adelomyia Aglaiocercus Chalcostigma Discosura Heliangelus Lesbia Lophornis Metallura Opisthoprora Oreonympha Oreotrochilus Oxypogon Phlogophilus Polyonymus Ramphomicron Sappho Sephanoides Taphrolesbia Patagoninae Patagona Trochilinae Trochilini Abeillia Amazilia Amazilis Anthocephala Basilinna Campylopterus Chalybura Chionomesa Chlorestes Chlorostilbon Chrysuronia Cynanthus Elliotomyia Eupetomena Eupherusa Goldmania Hylocharis Klais Leucippus Leucochloris Microchera Orthorhyncus Pampa Phaeochroa Phaeoptila Polyerata Ramosomyia Riccordia Saucerottia Stephanoxis Talaphorus Taphrospilus Thalurania Thaumasius Trochilus Uranomitra Lampornithini Eugenes Heliomaster Hylonympha Lampornis Lamprolaima Panterpe Sternoclyta Mellisugini Archilochus Calliphlox Calothorax Calypte Chaetocercus Doricha Eulidia Mellisuga Microstilbon Myrmia Myrtis Nesophlox Philodice Rhodopis Selasphorus Thaumastura Tilmatura
Apodi incertae sedis †Laputavis †Procypseloides †Scaniacypselus Hemiprocnidae Hemiprocne Apodidae Apodinae Apodini Aeronautes Apus Cypsiurus Panyptila Tachornis Tachymarptis Chaeturini Chaetura Hirundapus Mearnsia Neafrapus Rhaphidura Telacanthura Zoonavena Collocaliini Aerodramus Collocalia Hydrochous Schoutedenapus Cypseloidinae Cypseloides Streptoprocne

• Hemiprocnidae
• Birds of Indomalaya