Pallid Swift vs Costa Rican Swift
Apus pallidus compared with Chaetura fumosa
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Pallid Swift | Costa Rican Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus pallidus | Chaetura fumosa |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.4 cm (13.1 in) | 21.2 cm (8.3 in) |
| Weight | 42.25 g (1.49 oz) | 18.2 g (0.64 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. | Entirely airborne feeder on tiny flies, gnats, and airborne arachnids; one of the most aerial … |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Pallid Swift
Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.
Costa Rican Swift
Thin, insect-like buzz alternating with soft clicks; delicate high trill delivered during swift wheeling flight over valleys.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pallid Swift
Breeds in the Mediterranean and North Africa east to Pakistan. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Costa Rican Swift
Found along the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and Panama. Resident in lowland and foothill forest and forest edge below 1,000 m.
Conservation Status
Pallid Swift
Costa Rican Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Pallid Swift
Medium-large; pale brownish-grey overall, distinctly paler than Common Swift; larger pale throat patch; wing coverts show pale scaly edges; Mediterranean and Middle Eastern species; pale sandy-brown tone separates it from …
Costa Rican Swift
Small; uniformly dark sooty-brown with rump barely paler than dark back; underparts dark grey-brown; short spiny tail; Central American Pacific slope species; exceptionally dark and uniform compared to most Chaetura …
About These Birds
Pallid Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) similar to Common Swift but paler, sandy-brown overall with a larger white throat patch. Found across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Aerial insectivore. Long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Costa Rican Swift
A small swift (11 cm) endemic to the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and western Panama. Dark plumage with a pale grey rump band. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore of humid forest canopy. Poorly known; restricted range in Central American lowland forests.