Roosting Behaviours of Mossy-nest Swiftlet, Aerodramus salanganus (Aves: Apodidae) During Incubation Phase in Gua Raya, Serian, Sarawak

Mossy-nest Swiftlets (Aerodramus salanganus) lives in caves and they are named as such due to their choice of materials used to build their nests, which are fresh mosses, thus making their nests inedible to humans, unlike those of the White-nest Swiftlets. This lack in economic importance of the species makes results in the species being a less appealing subject to study in detail in terms of their behaviours and ecology, an important aspect for the survival of the species. In this study, the roosting behaviours exhibited by the swiftlets during the incubation phase are studied in the wild setting of a cave in Gua Raya, located in Kampung Chupak, Serian. Objectives of this study are to i) analyse the roosting behaviours shown by Mossy-nest Swiftlets during incubation phase, ii) generate a kinematic diagram of roosting behaviours of Mossy-nest Swiftlets during incubation phase. The roosting behaviours displayed by Mossynest Swiftlets were studied by partitioning each hour of time within a day into four separate periods. Results shows that Mossy-nest Swiftlets perform seven different behaviours during roost. It was found out that the most frequent roosting behaviour seen in the swiftlets is preening, with the least frequent behaviour being random roosting flight. The two behaviours of parallel shifting and territorial display were not observed to be performed by individuals in the study. This study could prove to be an important piece of information to be used in conservation management efforts, while also raising the awareness of the scientific and public community, besides acting data for future studie