Waterfall Swift
Hydrochous gigas
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyApodidae (Swifts)
- GenusHydrochous
- SpeciesHydrochous gigas (Waterfall Swift)
About the Waterfall Swift
The giant swiftlet (Hydrochous gigas), also known as the waterfall swift, is a species of bird in the swift family, Apodidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Hydrochous. It is found in Malaysia, Sumatra and Java, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. It may be threatened by habitat loss.
The giant swiftlet has the largest average wingspan of all the swiftlets, at 150 millimeters. It is a fairly large swift that can grow to 16 cm in length. The female weighs 35 to 39 grams, and the male around 37 grams. Unlike other swiftlets, it builds its nest on a flat horizontal surface instead of molding it against a vertical surface with saliva.
It is not totally nocturnal, lacking the echolocation seen in some other swiftlets, but is still able to orientate visually in dim light. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gunung Leuser National Park
Plume-toed Swiftlet
Collocalia affinis
Black-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus maximus
Silver-rumped Needletail
Rhaphidura leucopygialis
White-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus fuciphagus
Brown-backed Needletail
Hirundapus giganteus
Pacific Swift
Apus pacificus
Asian Palm-Swift
Cypsiurus balasiensis
House Swift
Apus nipalensis
Mossy-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus salangana
White-throated Needletail
Hirundapus caudacutus
Silver-backed Needletail
Hirundapus cochinchinensis
Gray-rumped Treeswift
Hemiprocne longipennis
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Waterfall Swift in Gunung Leuser National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waterfall Swift sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Waterfall Swift in Gunung Leuser National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Waterfall Swift in Gunung Leuser National Park in our monthly data.