Crested Treeswift vs Moustached Treeswift
Hemiprocne coronata compared with Hemiprocne mystacea
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Crested Treeswift | Moustached Treeswift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hemiprocne coronata | Hemiprocne mystacea |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Hemiprocnidae | Hemiprocnidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 30.4 cm (12.0 in) | 43.3 cm (17.0 in) |
| Weight | 27.400000000000002 g (0.97 oz) | 70.16666666666667 g (2.48 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore making sallying flights from an exposed perch to capture flying insects; returns to … | Sally-hunting aerial insectivore taking flies, beetles, and winged ants from an exposed tree perch; not … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Crested Treeswift
Loud, shrill 'kik-kik-ki-ki'; sharp metallic screech; calls from high perch in South Asian forest; alarm a rapid screeching series; contact a thin high-pitched whistle
Moustached Treeswift
Loud, screaming 'kreee-kreee'; powerful shrill calls from New Guinea forest edge; largest treeswift; calls from exposed high perch; alarm a rapid piercing scream
Geographic Range & Migration
Crested Treeswift
Found across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia from India east to Indochina. Resident in open deciduous forest and edge up to 1,500 m.
Moustached Treeswift
Found from the Moluccas and New Guinea east through the Bismarcks and Solomons to Micronesia. Resident in forest edge and open areas.
Conservation Status
Crested Treeswift
Moustached Treeswift
How to Tell Them Apart
Crested Treeswift
Males grey above with blue-grey gloss; long erectile blue-grey crest; chestnut ear patch; white supercilium; underparts white with grey flanks; females similar but lack chestnut ear patch; elegant arboreal treeswift.
Moustached Treeswift
Large treeswift; dark blackish-grey upperparts with greenish gloss; bold white supercilium and long white postocular stripe forming moustache; chestnut ear coverts in male; white underparts; deeply forked long tail; Australasian …
About These Birds
Crested Treeswift
A medium-sized treeswift (21-23 cm) with a broad, swept-back crest and long, deeply forked tail. Silver-grey plumage with a pale face and dark ear patch. Found in open forests from India to Southeast Asia. Aerial insectivore perching prominently on bare branches between sallies.
Moustached Treeswift
A medium-sized treeswift (25-30 cm) with a large, swept-back crest and a distinctive white streak from the eye. Found in forests and forest edges from the Moluccas through New Guinea to the Solomon Islands. Aerial insectivore, often seen perching on high bare branches. The largest treeswift.