Crested treeswift breeding season begins in SW China's Yunnan

The breeding season for crested treeswifts recently began in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The crested treeswift, which is under second-class protection in China, is a small, slender bird with a long crest on its forehead. It builds a tiny, cup-shaped nest on a tree branch, which can only cradle a single egg. Both the male and the female take turns to incubate the egg.

A rare bird species, crested treeswifts are mainly distributed in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province. Yingjiang county is one of the places where the species has been observed and photographed consistently.

Photo shows a crested treeswift incubating an egg on a tiny nest during breeding season in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Yin Yihu)

Photo shows a crested treeswift incubating an egg on a tiny nest during breeding season in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Yin Yihu)

Photo shows crested treeswifts incubating an egg on a tiny nest during breeding season in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Yin Yihu)

Photo shows crested treeswifts incubating an egg on a tiny nest during breeding season in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Yin Yihu)