White-chested Swift vs Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Cypseloides lemosi compared with Panyptila sanctihieronymi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-chested Swift | Great Swallow-tailed Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypseloides lemosi | Panyptila sanctihieronymi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.0 cm (11.8 in) | 36.8 cm (14.5 in) |
| Weight | 28.400000000000002 g (1.00 oz) | 48.416666666666664 g (1.71 oz) |
| Diet | Obligate aerial forager catching small flies, aphids, winged termites, and airborne spiders on the wing. | Catches aerial plankton — tiny midges, gnats, and ballooning spiders — continuously during soaring flight. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
White-chested Swift
High, thin twittering; soft 'tsit' calls in flight; calls over Colombian waterfalls; very poorly known; thin, reedy contact notes; one of most rarely documented swifts
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Soft, rippling trill with liquid overtones; easy flowing sequence of mellow notes carrying pleasantly across open sky.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-chested Swift
Known from Colombia and adjacent Ecuador. One of the world's rarest swifts; recorded at waterfalls in humid forest foothills at 500–1,200 m.
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Found from southern Mexico through Guatemala, Honduras, to Costa Rica. Resident in humid highland forest at 600–2,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
White-chested Swift
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
White-chested Swift
Black upperparts and wings; distinctive large white chest patch contrasting sharply with black throat and belly; white confined to central breast; Colombian endemic with unique bold bicoloured plumage unlike any …
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Black upperparts with white throat and white flanks; bold white rump patch; extremely long deeply forked tail with white outer feather edges; Central American species with the most spectacular forked …
About These Birds
White-chested Swift
A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) endemic to the upper Cauca Valley of Colombia. Sooty-black plumage with a white breast patch. Aerial insectivore of subtropical forests. Classified as Endangered due to extremely restricted range and ongoing habitat loss.
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
A large swift (18-20 cm) with an extremely long, deeply forked tail. Dark plumage with a white throat and collar. Found in highland forests from southern Mexico to Honduras. Aerial insectivore, foraging over mountain canyons and pine-oak forests. Uncommon and rarely observed.