Plain Swift vs Great Dusky Swift
Apus unicolor compared with Cypseloides senex
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Plain Swift | Great Dusky Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus unicolor | Cypseloides senex |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.9 cm (11.8 in) | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) |
| Weight | 24.2 g (0.85 oz) | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) |
| Diet | Exclusively aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and spiders drifting in aerial plankton at altitude. | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Plain Swift
Harsh, grating scream with descending inflection; loud raspy calls carrying urgency, often given during colony disturbance.
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
Plain Swift
Breeds on the Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. Resident on these Macaronesian archipelagos. Closely related to Common Swift.
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
Plain Swift
Great Dusky Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Plain Swift
Dark sooty-brown plumage; very faint pale chin; no distinct throat patch; entirely plain and uniform; smaller than Common Swift; Macaronesian endemic breeding in Canary Islands and Madeira; coloration slightly paler …
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
Plain Swift
A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) endemic to the Macaronesian islands of Madeira and the Canaries. Dark brown plumage, slightly paler than Common Swift. Aerial insectivore. Resident population on the islands. Closely related to Common Swift but lacks the pale throat patch.
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.