Great Dusky Swift vs Antillean Palm Swift
Cypseloides senex compared with Tachornis phoenicobia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Dusky Swift | Antillean Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypseloides senex | Tachornis phoenicobia |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.8 cm (13.3 in) | 20.4 cm (8.0 in) |
| Weight | 83.0 g (2.93 oz) | 10.0 g (0.35 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … | Feeds aerially on tiny insects and spiders, often following weather fronts where aerial plankton concentrates. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 2-5 |
| 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
Antillean Palm Swift
Rapid, thin twittering with intermittent pauses; light chips strung loosely forming an airy, barely structured vocalisation.
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.
Antillean Palm Swift
Found in Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Resident in open areas near palms; nests inside hanging palm fronds in the Caribbean.
Conservation Status
Great Dusky Swift
Antillean 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 …
Antillean Palm Swift
Tiny; dark brown-black upperparts; white rump contrasting with dark back; underparts white with dark breast band; dark brown flanks and sides; deeply forked tail; Caribbean endemic with striking white rump …
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.
Antillean Palm Swift
A small swift (10-11 cm) endemic to the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola). Dark plumage with a white rump. Long, deeply forked tail. Aerial insectivore, closely associated with royal palms (Roystonea), nesting inside hanging dead palm fronds.