Lesser Antillean Swift vs Great Dusky Swift

Chaetura martinica مقارنةً بـ Cypseloides senex

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Lesser Antillean Swift Great Dusky Swift
الاسم العلمي Chaetura martinica Cypseloides senex
الرتبة Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
الفصيلة Apodidae Apodidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 21,6 cm (8.5 in) 33,8 cm (13.3 in)
الوزن 12,6 g (0.44 oz) 83,0 g (2.93 oz)
النظام الغذائي Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial …
عدد البيض في الوضع 3 1-2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

Lesser Antillean Swift only

بلا

Great Dusky Swift only

بلا

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Song & Call Comparison

Lesser Antillean Swift

الغناء

Sharp, high-pitched squeaking in rapid succession; excited twittering with melodic inflection rising near breeding colony.

Great Dusky Swift

الغناء

Loud, churring trill; harsher and louder than other Cypseloides; calls over Iguacu Falls and major Neotropical waterfalls; buzzy 'bzzzt-bzzzt' in aerial groups

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Geographic Range & Migration

Lesser Antillean Swift

Found in the Lesser Antilles from Guadeloupe and Dominica south to St. Vincent and Grenada. Resident in forest and open areas.

Great Dusky Swift

Found in eastern South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia and Paraguay. Resident near rocky cliffs and waterfalls.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Lesser Antillean Swift

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Lesser Antillean Swift

الريش

Small; dark sooty-brown overall; pale grey-brown rump slightly paler than back; underparts grey-brown; short spiny tail; Lesser Antilles endemic; very similar to Chapman's Swift but smaller and island-restricted with subtly …

Great Dusky Swift

الريش

Very large; entirely dark sooty-brown with pale grey forehead and chin scaling; slightly paler underparts; broad wings; largest Cypseloides swift; South American waterfall specialist with dusky uniform plumage and imposing …

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About These Birds

Lesser Antillean Swift

A small swift (11 cm) endemic to the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. Dark plumage with a grey rump. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forested mountains and volcanic peaks. Found on Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Lucia.

Great Dusky Swift

A large swift (18-20 cm) of southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina. Dark sooty-brown plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forested gorges and waterfalls. Nests in large colonies behind waterfalls. The largest member of the genus Cypseloides.

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