Great Dusky Swift vs White-fronted Swift
Cypseloides senex compared with Cypseloides storeri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Dusky Swift | White-fronted Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypseloides senex | Cypseloides storeri |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Data Deficient |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 27.4 cm (10.8 in) |
| Weight | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) | 39.25 g (1.38 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … | Obligate aerial insectivore; takes small flies, beetles, and aerial spiders in swooping fast-flight passes. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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
White-fronted Swift
Poorly known vocalizations; thin twittering presumed; calls over Mexican montane waterfalls; high-pitched soft chip notes; very rarely documented; data-deficient species
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Dusky Swift
Found in eastern South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia and Paraguay. Resident near rocky cliffs and waterfalls.
White-fronted Swift
Endemic to western Mexico from Jalisco to Oaxaca. Resident in forested highlands near canyon streams at 1,000–2,500 m. Poorly known.
Conservation Status
Great Dusky Swift
White-fronted Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
White-fronted Swift
Blackish-brown throughout with a prominent white frontal patch on forehead and lores; no other pale markings; slightly paler brownish below; poorly known Mexican endemic known from very few specimens.
About These Birds
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.
White-fronted Swift
A medium-sized swift (14 cm) endemic to montane forests of western Mexico at 1,500-3,000 m elevation. Sooty-black plumage with a white forehead patch. Aerial insectivore feeding over forested mountainsides. One of the least known Neotropical swifts. Classified as Vulnerable.