Purple Needletail vs Alpine Swift
Hirundapus celebensis مقارنةً بـ Tachymarptis melba
Side-by-Side Comparison
| السمة | Purple Needletail | Alpine Swift |
|---|---|---|
| الاسم العلمي | Hirundapus celebensis | Tachymarptis melba |
| الرتبة | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| الفصيلة | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| حالة الحفاظ | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| الطول | — | — |
| طول الجناح | 42,7 cm (16.8 in) | 43,9 cm (17.3 in) |
| الوزن | 186,5 g (6.58 oz) | 97,5 g (3.44 oz) |
| النظام الغذائي | Catches aerial plankton of small insects and spiders in fast sweeping flight; roosts in rock … | Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … |
| عدد البيض في الوضع | -- | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Purple Needletail
Thin, penetrating screech with piercing quality; rapid trilling notes cascading steeply, cutting through jungle noise effectively.
Alpine Swift
Rapid series of short, clipped whistles; bright, clean notes delivered in quick succession with occasional doubled phrase.
Geographic Range & Migration
Purple Needletail
Found on Sulawesi, the Philippines, and adjacent islands in Wallacea. Resident in lowland and hill forest, foraging over forest and open areas.
Alpine Swift
Breeds from southern Europe and North Africa east through Central Asia and the Himalayas to India. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
حالة الحفاظ
Purple Needletail
Alpine Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Purple Needletail
Very large; dark black-brown upperparts with intense purple gloss on back and wing coverts; white throat patch; white undertail coverts; short spiny tail; Sulawesi endemic and the heaviest needletail; stunning …
Alpine Swift
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 …
About These Birds
Purple Needletail
A large needletail swift (19-20 cm) endemic to the Philippines and Sulawesi. Dark plumage with purplish gloss and a white throat patch. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore, foraging in rapid flight over montane forests. Less studied than its continental relatives.
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.