Himalayan swiftlets (Aerodramus brevirostris) are the highest living swifts that I’ve seen. The photo you see here was taken at an altitude of about 5000 meters above sea level. It was one of my worst times at that height; we’d made an early morning dash, gaining 3000 meters of altitude in four hours. I was starved for oxygen, and took photos of things which I promptly forgot about. This photo of a large flock of the swiftlets perched on wires was one of them. I met them again later, but these are my only photos of the species. They must have been roosting in caves nearby.
Later, when I’d encountered them again, I found that swiftlets of this genus navigate within their caves by echolocation. They fly in and out of caves without making a sound, but inside they emit clicks to find their way: two double clicks, a wait, and then two double clicks again. The wait time decreases as they navigate into deeper shadows.
This is an invitation to share your post about birds, their photos, or their behaviour. If you post about birds this week (starting today and up to next Monday), you could leave a link in the comments, or a pingback, for others to follow. You don’t have to have a recent photo, nor do you have to post a photo of the same bird as mine. Do use the tag “Bird of the Week” to help others find your post, and remember to visit other people’s posts. For more information see the main landing page for this invitation.
Don't hold your breath 