Great Swallow-tailed Swift vs White-collared Swift
Panyptila sanctihieronymi compared with Streptoprocne zonaris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Swallow-tailed Swift | White-collared Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Panyptila sanctihieronymi | Streptoprocne zonaris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 36.8 cm (14.5 in) | 42.5 cm (16.7 in) |
| Weight | 48.416666666666664 g (1.71 oz) | 106.45 g (3.75 oz) |
| Diet | Catches aerial plankton — tiny midges, gnats, and ballooning spiders — continuously during soaring flight. | Obligate aerial insectivore; gathers small flying insects, winged ants, and airborne spiders during flight. |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Soft, rippling trill with liquid overtones; easy flowing sequence of mellow notes carrying pleasantly across open sky.
White-collared Swift
Loud, screaming 'shreee-shreee'; powerful screeching trill; calls from large flocks over mountains; very audible; one of the loudest Neotropical swifts; alarm a harsh rattle
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Found from southern Mexico through Guatemala, Honduras, to Costa Rica. Resident in humid highland forest at 600–2,000 m elevation.
White-collared Swift
Found from Mexico south through Central America to South America east of the Andes, reaching Bolivia and southern Brazil. Often in large flocks.
Conservation Status
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
White-collared Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Black upperparts with white throat and white flanks; bold white rump patch; extremely long deeply forked tail with white outer feather edges; Central American species with the most spectacular forked …
White-collared Swift
Large; glossy blue-black plumage with bold broad white collar encircling entire neck; collar clean and complete; underparts black; large slightly forked tail; among the most recognisable Neotropical swifts due to …
About These Birds
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
A large swift (18-20 cm) with an extremely long, deeply forked tail. Dark plumage with a white throat and collar. Found in highland forests from southern Mexico to Honduras. Aerial insectivore, foraging over mountain canyons and pine-oak forests. Uncommon and rarely observed.
White-collared Swift
A very large swift (20-22 cm, wingspan 45-55 cm) with a bold white collar band, the largest New World swift. Found from Mexico to southern Brazil and the Caribbean. Aerial insectivore, foraging in large, noisy flocks over forests and cities. Nests behind waterfalls and in caves.