Costa Rican Swift vs Alpine Swift

Chaetura fumosa مقارنةً بـ Tachymarptis melba

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Costa Rican Swift Alpine Swift
الاسم العلمي Chaetura fumosa Tachymarptis melba
الرتبة Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
الفصيلة Apodidae Apodidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 21,2 cm (8.3 in) 43,9 cm (17.3 in)
الوزن 18,2 g (0.64 oz) 97,5 g (3.44 oz)
النظام الغذائي Entirely airborne feeder on tiny flies, gnats, and airborne arachnids; one of the most aerial … Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal …
عدد البيض في الوضع -- 1-4
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

بلا

Costa Rican Swift only

Alpine Swift only

بلا

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Song & Call Comparison

Costa Rican Swift

الغناء

Thin, insect-like buzz alternating with soft clicks; delicate high trill delivered during swift wheeling flight over valleys.

Alpine Swift

الغناء

Rapid series of short, clipped whistles; bright, clean notes delivered in quick succession with occasional doubled phrase.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Costa Rican Swift

Found along the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and Panama. Resident in lowland and foothill forest and forest edge below 1,000 m.

Alpine Swift

Breeds from southern Europe and North Africa east through Central Asia and the Himalayas to India. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Costa Rican Swift

Least Concern

Alpine Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Costa Rican Swift

الريش

Small; uniformly dark sooty-brown with rump barely paler than dark back; underparts dark grey-brown; short spiny tail; Central American Pacific slope species; exceptionally dark and uniform compared to most Chaetura …

Alpine Swift

الريش

Large; dark brown upperparts; white throat patch separated from white belly by dark brown breast band; brown flanks; bold tricoloured underpart pattern; one of Europe's largest swifts with distinctive white …

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About These Birds

Costa Rican Swift

A small swift (11 cm) endemic to the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and western Panama. Dark plumage with a pale grey rump band. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore of humid forest canopy. Poorly known; restricted range in Central American lowland forests.

Alpine Swift

A large swift (20-22 cm, wingspan 54-60 cm) with a white belly and throat contrasting with dark brown upperparts. Found from southern Europe and Africa to Central Asia. Aerial insectivore, foraging at great heights. Nests on cliff faces in large colonies. Powerful, fast flier.

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