Costa Rican Swift vs Chestnut-collared Swift
Chaetura fumosa compared with Streptoprocne rutila
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Costa Rican Swift | Chestnut-collared Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetura fumosa | Streptoprocne rutila |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 21.2 cm (8.3 in) | 26.0 cm (10.2 in) |
| Weight | 18.2 g (0.64 oz) | 21.8 g (0.77 oz) |
| Diet | Entirely airborne feeder on tiny flies, gnats, and airborne arachnids; one of the most aerial … | Entirely airborne feeder on tiny flies, gnats, and airborne arachnids; one of the most aerial … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Costa Rican Swift
Thin, insect-like buzz alternating with soft clicks; delicate high trill delivered during swift wheeling flight over valleys.
Chestnut-collared Swift
High, screaming trill; rapid 'scree-scree' in flight; shrill and penetrating; calls over Neotropical mountains and canyon edges; alarm a rapid screeching chatter
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Chestnut-collared Swift
Found from Mexico and the Caribbean south through Central America and South America to Argentina. Resident in highlands near mountain cliffs.
Conservation Status
Costa Rican Swift
Chestnut-collared Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
Chestnut-collared Swift
Dark blackish-brown body with diagnostic rich chestnut collar encircling entire neck; collar bold and complete; underparts slightly paler brown; small swift with striking warm-toned neck band contrasting vividly with dark …
About These Birds
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.
Chestnut-collared Swift
A small swift (13-14 cm) found from Mexico through Central America and South America to Bolivia and Brazil. Dark plumage with a distinctive chestnut collar and throat. Aerial insectivore, often foraging in mixed-species swift flocks over forests and highlands.