Moluccan Swiftlet vs Great Dusky Swift

Aerodramus infuscatus verglichen mit Cypseloides senex

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Moluccan Swiftlet Great Dusky Swift
Wissenschaftlicher Name Aerodramus infuscatus Cypseloides senex
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Apodidae Apodidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 21,2 cm (8.3 in) 33,8 cm (13.3 in)
Gewicht 15,25 g (0.54 oz) 83,0 g (2.93 oz)
Ernährung Aerial plankton specialist catching tiny flies, gnats, and airborne spiders in tight acrobatic flight. Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial …
Gelegegröße -- 1-2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Moluccan Swiftlet only

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Great Dusky Swift only

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Song & Call Comparison

Moluccan Swiftlet

Gesang

Thin twittering; soft 'chip-chip' calls over Maluku islands; echolocation clicks in caves; moderate-pitched for swiftlet; colonial roosts noisy with overlapping calls

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

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Geographic Range & Migration

Moluccan Swiftlet

Found on the Moluccan islands of Indonesia including Halmahera, Seram, and Ambon. Resident in forest and open habitats. Moluccan endemic.

Great Dusky Swift

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

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Moluccan Swiftlet

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Moluccan Swiftlet

Gefieder

Small to medium; dark brown-grey upperparts with pale buff rump band; underparts pale whitish-grey; forked tail; North Moluccan endemic; slightly larger than many congeners with relatively prominent pale rump contrasting …

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 …

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About These Birds

Moluccan Swiftlet

A small swiftlet (11 cm) found in the Moluccan Islands of Indonesia. Dark brown plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy. Colonial cave nester using echolocation. Taxonomy has been revised several times; limited published ecological data.

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.

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