Edible-nest Swiftlet vs Great Dusky Swift

Aerodramus fuciphagus verglichen mit Cypseloides senex

Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Edible-nest Swiftlet Great Dusky Swift
Wissenschaftlicher Name Aerodramus fuciphagus Cypseloides senex
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Apodidae Apodidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 22,6 cm (8.9 in) 33,8 cm (13.3 in)
Gewicht 13,040000000000001 g (0.46 oz) 83,0 g (2.93 oz)
Ernährung Obligate aerial insectivore; catches minute flies, beetles, and aerial spiders while foraging near cave roosts. Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial …
Gelegegröße 1-2 1-2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Edible-nest Swiftlet only

Great Dusky Swift only

-

Song & Call Comparison

Edible-nest Swiftlet

Gesang

Rapid twittering; 'chip-chip-chip' over Southeast Asian coast; strong echolocation clicks distinctive in cave roosts; colonial nester; calls produce audible clicking chorus in caves

Great Dusky Swift

Gesang

Loud, churring trill; harsher and louder than other Cypseloides; calls over Iguacu Falls and major Neotropical waterfalls; buzzy 'bzzzt-bzzzt' in aerial groups

Geographic Range & Migration

Edible-nest Swiftlet

Found from the Andaman Islands east through Southeast Asia to Borneo and the Philippines. Produces edible nests used in bird's nest soup.

Great Dusky Swift

Found in eastern South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia and Paraguay. Resident near rocky cliffs and waterfalls.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Edible-nest Swiftlet

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

How to Tell Them Apart

Edible-nest Swiftlet

Gefieder

Small; dark grey-brown upperparts; pale buff-grey rump band; underparts pale whitish-grey; forked tail; Southeast Asian species prized for white saliva nests used in bird's nest soup; plumage unremarkable but economically …

Great Dusky Swift

Gefieder

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 …

About These Birds

Edible-nest Swiftlet

A medium-sized swiftlet (12-13 cm) found from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands through Southeast Asia to Indonesia and the Philippines. Dark plumage. Famous for building nests almost entirely of solidified saliva, the primary ingredient in bird's nest soup, a luxury food item in East Asia.

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.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family