Spot-fronted Swift vs Alpine Swift
Cypseloides cherriei compared with Tachymarptis melba
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spot-fronted Swift | Alpine Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypseloides cherriei | Tachymarptis melba |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 43.9 cm (17.3 in) |
| Weight | 22.725 g (0.80 oz) | 97.5 g (3.44 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds aerially on tiny insects and spiders, often following weather fronts where aerial plankton concentrates. | Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Spot-fronted Swift
Soft 'chip-chip' notes; thin, quiet twittering in flight; calls over Colombian waterfalls and mountain streams; high-pitched weak trills; rarely vocal away from breeding
Alpine Swift
Rapid series of short, clipped whistles; bright, clean notes delivered in quick succession with occasional doubled phrase.
Geographic Range & Migration
Spot-fronted Swift
Found in disjunct montane populations from Costa Rica and Venezuela south to Ecuador. Rare; associated with waterfalls at 600–2,000 m elevation.
Alpine Swift
Breeds from southern Europe and North Africa east through Central Asia and the Himalayas to India. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
Conservation Status
Spot-fronted Swift
Alpine Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Spot-fronted Swift
Sooty-black overall with distinctive white-spotted forehead; throat shows pale grey-white scaling; no other markings; dark uniform body contrasts with the unique white-spotted loral and frontal spots that name the species.
Alpine Swift
Large; dark brown upperparts; white throat patch separated from white belly by dark brown breast band; brown flanks; bold tricoloured underpart pattern; one of Europe's largest swifts with distinctive white …
About These Birds
Spot-fronted Swift
A medium-sized dark swift (13-14 cm) of montane forests in Costa Rica and western Panama. Sooty-black plumage with white loral spots. Aerial insectivore, foraging high over forested ravines and mountain ridges. Rare and poorly known; classified as Near Threatened.
Alpine Swift
A large swift (20-22 cm, wingspan 54-60 cm) with a white belly and throat contrasting with dark brown upperparts. Found from southern Europe and Africa to Central Asia. Aerial insectivore, foraging at great heights. Nests on cliff faces in large colonies. Powerful, fast flier.