Whitehead's Swiftlet vs Great Dusky Swift
Aerodramus whiteheadi compared with Cypseloides senex
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Whitehead's Swiftlet | Great Dusky Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aerodramus whiteheadi | Cypseloides senex |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Data Deficient | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) |
| Weight | 14.0 g (0.49 oz) | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial plankton feeder taking tiny midges, fungus gnats, and ballooning spiders in rapid coursing flights. | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Whitehead's Swiftlet
Thin twittering; 'chip-chip' calls over Borneo highlands; echolocation clicks in cave roosts; data deficient; calls poorly documented from remote Bornean montane habitat
Great Dusky Swift
Loud, churring trill; harsher and louder than other Cypseloides; calls over Iguacu Falls and major Neotropical waterfalls; buzzy 'bzzzt-bzzzt' in aerial groups
Geographic Range & Migration
Whitehead's Swiftlet
Endemic to the highlands of Borneo at 800–3,000 m. Resident in montane forest on Mount Kinabalu and the Crocker Range.
Great Dusky Swift
Found in eastern South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia and Paraguay. Resident near rocky cliffs and waterfalls.
Conservation Status
Whitehead's Swiftlet
Great Dusky Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Whitehead's Swiftlet
Small; dark brownish-grey upperparts; pale buff-grey rump band; underparts pale grey-white; forked tail; Philippine endemic from Luzon; data-deficient species differing from Philippine Swiftlet mainly in habitat preference and island range.
Great Dusky Swift
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 …
About These Birds
Whitehead's Swiftlet
A small swiftlet (11-12 cm) endemic to the mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines. Dark plumage with a pale rump. Aerial insectivore of montane forest canopy above 1,000 m. Colonial cave nester using echolocation. Named after John Whitehead. Poorly known.
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.