Pallid Swift vs Short-tailed Swift
Apus pallidus verglichen mit Chaetura brachyura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Pallid Swift | Short-tailed Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Apus pallidus | Chaetura brachyura |
| Ordnung | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familie | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 33,4 cm (13.1 in) | 23,7 cm (9.3 in) |
| Gewicht | 42,25 g (1.49 oz) | 18,625 g (0.66 oz) |
| Ernährung | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. | Feeds exclusively on aerial plankton — tiny flies, aphids, and spiders — captured in continuous … |
| Gelegegröße | 1-4 | 2-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Pallid Swift
Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.
Short-tailed Swift
Harsh, screaming chatter with emphatic delivery; loud coarse notes erupting suddenly during competitive aerial encounters.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pallid Swift
Breeds in the Mediterranean and North Africa east to Pakistan. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Short-tailed Swift
Found across South America east of the Andes, from Trinidad and the Guianas south to Bolivia and the Río de la Plata. Lowland forest.
Erhaltungsstatus
Pallid Swift
Short-tailed Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Pallid Swift
Medium-large; pale brownish-grey overall, distinctly paler than Common Swift; larger pale throat patch; wing coverts show pale scaly edges; Mediterranean and Middle Eastern species; pale sandy-brown tone separates it from …
Short-tailed Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown upperparts; very pale whitish rump and tail contrasting sharply with dark body; underparts pale greyish; extremely short tail giving distinctive blunt-ended flight silhouette; widespread Trinidad to Argentina.
About These Birds
Pallid Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) similar to Common Swift but paler, sandy-brown overall with a larger white throat patch. Found across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Aerial insectivore. Long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Short-tailed Swift
A small swift (10-11 cm) found in lowland forests from Panama to southern Brazil and Trinidad. Dark plumage with a noticeably short, square tail with spine tips. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy and clearings. The smallest member of the genus Chaetura.