Mariana swiftlet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mariana swiftlet |
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The Mariana swiftlet or Guam swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi) is a small bird. It is a type of swiftlet, which belongs to the family of swifts. These birds are known for their fast flight.
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About the Mariana Swiftlet
The Mariana swiftlet is about 11 centimeters (about 4.3 inches) long. It has a dark grey-brown head and back. Its throat and upper chest are grey-white. The rest of its belly is a darker grey. This bird has a tail that looks like a shallow fork. Its feathers are not shiny.
Where They Live
You can find the Mariana swiftlet on Guam. They also live on Saipan and Aguiguan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Sadly, they no longer live on Rota and Tinian. In the early 1960s, some swiftlets were brought to Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. A small group of them still lives there.
These swiftlets like to live in certain places. Their natural habitats include warm, wet lowland forests. They also live in mangrove forests and open grassland areas.
Swiftlet Behavior and Life
Mariana swiftlets build their nests inside limestone caves. They often choose high spots on the walls or ceilings. Some nests are even in completely dark parts of the caves. They live in groups called colonies. These colonies can have a few birds or hundreds of birds.
A female swiftlet usually lays one egg at a time. They can lay eggs more than once a year. These birds make twittering and chirping sounds. They also use special "echolocation" clicks. This helps them find their way in the dark caves.
Most swiftlets leave their cave home at sunrise. They fly out to find food. They come back to the cave at sunset to rest. They catch small insects while flying. They hunt for food over forests and other plants.
Protecting the Mariana Swiftlet
The Mariana swiftlet is an endangered bird. This means there are not many left, and they need help to survive.
On Guam, the number of swiftlets went down. This was because of brown tree snakes. These snakes eat birds and their eggs. Also, farm pesticides might have caused problems. But good news! By 2006, the number of swiftlets on Guam grew to about 900.
On Saipan, about 5,400 swiftlets were counted in 2005. But this group is in danger. If the brown tree snake gets to Saipan, it could harm them. The swiftlet group on Aguiguan has about 400 birds. On Oahu, at least 17 pairs of swiftlets were nesting in 1997.
People are working to protect these birds. They keep counting the swiftlets to see how they are doing. They also try to keep people from bothering the caves where the birds live. It's important to stop brown tree snakes from getting to the Northern Mariana Islands. Scientists are also trying to control other pests like mud dauber wasps and cockroaches. These insects can damage the swiftlets' nests. There are also plans to bring swiftlets back to Rota. They disappeared from Rota in the 1970s.
See also
In Spanish: Salangana de Guam para niños
