Madagascar Swift vs Great Dusky Swift
Apus balstoni compared with Cypseloides senex
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Madagascar Swift | Great Dusky Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus balstoni | Cypseloides senex |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.2 cm (12.7 in) | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) |
| Weight | 46.125 g (1.63 oz) | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds exclusively on aerial plankton — tiny flies, aphids, and spiders — captured in continuous … | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Madagascar Swift
Soft twittering with delicate clicking elements; light, airy notes tumbling quickly in loose sequence near water sources.
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
Madagascar Swift
Found in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Resident in open habitats including savanna, coastal areas, and highland grassland.
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
Madagascar Swift
Great Dusky Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Madagascar Swift
Dark sooty-brown overall; pale whitish throat patch; underparts slightly paler brown; moderately forked tail; Malagasy endemic; one of the heavier island Apus swifts; closely resembles African Swift but restricted to …
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
Madagascar Swift
A medium-sized swift (15-16 cm) found across Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forests and open areas. Closely related to African Swift. Resident population. Limited published ecological data compared to continental relatives.
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.