Epimeletic behaviour in airborne Common Swifts Apus apus: do adults support young in flight?

• Published in: Ornis Svecica
• Main Authors: Tenow, Olle, Fagerström, Torbjörn, Wallin, Lars
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BirdLife Sweden 2008
• Subjects: behaviour; parental care; convergent evolution; Hirundinidae; beteende; föräldravård; konvergent evolution; Newcomer; Apus apus
• Online Access: https://journals.lub.lu.se/os/article/view/22674; https://doi.org/10.34080/os.v18.22674

Seven cases of presumed epimeletic behaviour of adult Common Swifts toward flying young were recorded. The behaviour varied from adults escorting the young, over episodes when part of the colony swirled around the newcomer, to instances when an adult touched the young from below. A flying dummy was...