Chapman's Swift vs Great Dusky Swift
Chaetura chapmani compared with Cypseloides senex
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Chapman's Swift | Great Dusky Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetura chapmani | Cypseloides senex |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 24.6 cm (9.7 in) | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) |
| Weight | 23.416666666666668 g (0.83 oz) | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) |
| Diet | Obligate aerial forager; feeds entirely on the wing on small flying insects, midges, and airborne … | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Chapman's Swift
Quick, bubbling series of soft chips; pleasant liquid twittering with slightly buzzy edges, delivered during aerial display.
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
Chapman's Swift
Found in Trinidad and Tobago and northern South America from Colombia and Venezuela south to northeastern Brazil. Resident in lowland forest.
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
Chapman's Swift
Great Dusky Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Chapman's Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown overall; rump slightly paler grey-brown than back; underparts dark brown; short spiny tail; Amazonian species intermediate in plumage between Chimney Swift and Band-rumped Swift; relatively poorly differentiated …
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
Chapman's Swift
A small swift (12-13 cm) found in forests from Central America through northern South America to Trinidad. Dark plumage with a grey rump. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore. Difficult to distinguish from other Chaetura swifts in the field. Poorly studied.
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.