Bornean Swiftlet vs Great Dusky Swift
Collocalia dodgei compared with Cypseloides senex
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bornean Swiftlet | Great Dusky Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Collocalia dodgei | Cypseloides senex |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) |
| Weight | 6.1 g (0.22 oz) | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) |
| Diet | Small aerial insectivore feeding on minute flying insects and spiders; forages over forest canopy and … | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Bornean Swiftlet
High thin twittering; soft 'tsit' notes over Borneo mountains; echolocation in cave roosts; tiny highland swiftlet; call weakly audible; soft rapid chittering in flight
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
Bornean Swiftlet
Endemic to Borneo in lowland dipterocarp forest and hill forest. Closely related to Glossy Swiftlet; range barely extends to Palawan.
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
Bornean Swiftlet
Great Dusky Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Bornean Swiftlet
Tiny; dark glossy blue-green upperparts; pale whitish rump band; dark sooty-grey underparts; forked tail; Borneo endemic restricted to montane zones; similar to Glossy Swiftlet but less white below and confined …
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
Bornean Swiftlet
A small swiftlet (9-10 cm) endemic to montane forests of northern Borneo at 900-3,400 m elevation. Dark glossy plumage. Aerial insectivore. Colonial cave nester. Restricted to high-altitude caves on Mount Kinabalu and neighboring peaks. Limited ecological data.
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.