Black-nest Swiftlet vs White-chested Swift
Aerodramus maximus compared with Cypseloides lemosi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-nest Swiftlet | White-chested Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aerodramus maximus | Cypseloides lemosi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.8 cm (10.2 in) | 30.0 cm (11.8 in) |
| Weight | 16.8 g (0.59 oz) | 28.400000000000002 g (1.00 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial plankton feeder taking tiny midges, fungus gnats, and ballooning spiders in rapid coursing flights. | Obligate aerial forager catching small flies, aphids, winged termites, and airborne spiders on the wing. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Black-nest Swiftlet
Rapid twittering; thin 'tsit-tsit' over Southeast Asian forest; audible echolocation clicks in caves; larger than many swiftlets; slightly louder calls; colonial nester with dark nest
White-chested Swift
High, thin twittering; soft 'tsit' calls in flight; calls over Colombian waterfalls; very poorly known; thin, reedy contact notes; one of most rarely documented swifts
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-nest Swiftlet
Found from the Nicobar Islands through the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and the Philippines. Famous for edible nests made of pure saliva.
White-chested Swift
Known from Colombia and adjacent Ecuador. One of the world's rarest swifts; recorded at waterfalls in humid forest foothills at 500–1,200 m.
Conservation Status
Black-nest Swiftlet
White-chested Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-nest Swiftlet
Medium-small; dark sooty-brown upperparts with rump slightly paler grey-brown; underparts dark sooty-grey; forked tail; one of the largest Aerodramus swiftlets; named for its distinctive all-black saliva nest rather than visible …
White-chested Swift
Black upperparts and wings; distinctive large white chest patch contrasting sharply with black throat and belly; white confined to central breast; Colombian endemic with unique bold bicoloured plumage unlike any …
About These Birds
Black-nest Swiftlet
A medium-sized swiftlet (13-14 cm) found from the Malay Peninsula through Indonesia to the Philippines. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore. Colonial cave nester, building nests primarily of dark feathers cemented with saliva on cave walls. Commercially harvested for bird's nest soup.
White-chested Swift
A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) endemic to the upper Cauca Valley of Colombia. Sooty-black plumage with a white breast patch. Aerial insectivore of subtropical forests. Classified as Endangered due to extremely restricted range and ongoing habitat loss.