Great Dusky Swift vs Pygmy Palm Swift
Cypseloides senex compared with Tachornis furcata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Dusky Swift | Pygmy Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypseloides senex | Tachornis furcata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 17.8 cm (7.0 in) |
| Weight | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) | 6.75 g (0.24 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … | Aerial-only diet of small flying insects, winged termites, and drifting spiders caught during continuous flight. |
| 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
Pygmy Palm Swift
Tiny, buzzy chips barely audible beyond two metres; minute high-pitched twittering almost disappearing in ambient sound.
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.
Pygmy Palm Swift
Found in Venezuela and adjacent Colombia and Guyana. Resident in lowland savanna near Moriche palms; nests inside palm fronds. Uncommon.
Conservation Status
Great Dusky Swift
Pygmy Palm 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 …
Pygmy Palm Swift
Tiny, among the world's smallest swifts; dark brown-black overall; pale buff-white rump patch; underparts pale whitish with dark sides; deeply forked tail; Venezuelan and Colombian palm-nesting species; minute size and …
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.
Pygmy Palm Swift
A tiny swift (9-10 cm) of open savannas and palm groves in Colombia and Venezuela. Dark plumage with a pale rump. Long, forked tail. Aerial insectivore associated with Moriche palms (Mauritia flexuosa), nesting inside palm fronds. One of the smallest swifts.