White-chested Swift vs Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Cypseloides lemosi compared with Tachornis squamata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-chested Swift | Fork-tailed Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypseloides lemosi | Tachornis squamata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.0 cm (11.8 in) | 20.7 cm (8.1 in) |
| Weight | 28.400000000000002 g (1.00 oz) | 10.4 g (0.37 oz) |
| Diet | Obligate aerial forager catching small flies, aphids, winged termites, and airborne spiders on the wing. | Obligate aerial insectivore; takes small flies, beetles, and aerial spiders in swooping fast-flight passes. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2-4 |
| 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
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Loud, penetrating scream cutting above all noise; strident series of shrill descending notes, powerful for the bird's size.
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.
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Found in the Amazon basin from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Resident near Mauritia palm swamps.
Conservation Status
White-chested Swift
Fork-tailed Palm 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 …
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Tiny; dark brown-black upperparts; white rump patch; underparts whitish with dark flanks; deeply forked tail; Amazonian species closely resembling Antillean Palm Swift; nests in Mauritia palm fronds; white rump and …
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.
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
A small swift (12-13 cm) found in open country and palm savannas from Central America to southern Brazil and Trinidad. Dark plumage. Long, deeply forked tail. Aerial insectivore, closely associated with various palm species, nesting inside hanging dead palm fronds.