Great Dusky Swift vs Black Spinetail

Cypseloides senex مقارنةً بـ Telacanthura melanopygia

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Great Dusky Swift Black Spinetail
الاسم العلمي Cypseloides senex Telacanthura melanopygia
الرتبة Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
الفصيلة Apodidae Apodidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 33,8 cm (13.3 in) 32,4 cm (12.8 in)
الوزن 83,0 g (2.93 oz) 52,0 g (1.83 oz)
النظام الغذائي Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight.
عدد البيض في الوضع 1-2 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

Great Dusky Swift only

بلا

Black Spinetail only

بلا

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Song & Call Comparison

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

Black Spinetail

الغناء

Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Great Dusky Swift

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

Black Spinetail

Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

Least Concern

Black Spinetail

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How to Tell Them Apart

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 …

Black Spinetail

الريش

Large; entirely black plumage with slight gloss; black rump unlike white-rumped congeners; underparts dark; spiny tail; West African forest species; all-black coloration with no contrasting markings distinguishes it from all …

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About These Birds

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.

Black Spinetail

A medium-sized spinetail swift (14-15 cm) of lowland rainforests in West and Central Africa. All-dark plumage. Spine-tipped tail for bracing against tree trunks. Aerial insectivore, foraging above the forest canopy. Nests inside hollow trees. Uncommon and seldom observed.

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