Pallid Swift vs Great Swallow-tailed Swift

Apus pallidus verglichen mit Panyptila sanctihieronymi

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Pallid Swift Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Wissenschaftlicher Name Apus pallidus Panyptila sanctihieronymi
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Apodidae Apodidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 33,4 cm (13.1 in) 36,8 cm (14.5 in)
Gewicht 42,25 g (1.49 oz) 48,416666666666664 g (1.71 oz)
Ernährung Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. Catches aerial plankton — tiny midges, gnats, and ballooning spiders — continuously during soaring flight.
Gelegegröße 1-4 2-3
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

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Pallid Swift only

Great Swallow-tailed Swift only

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Song & Call Comparison

Pallid Swift

Gesang

Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.

Great Swallow-tailed Swift

Gesang

Soft, rippling trill with liquid overtones; easy flowing sequence of mellow notes carrying pleasantly across open sky.

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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.

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.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Pallid Swift

Least Concern

Great Swallow-tailed Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Pallid Swift

Gefieder

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 …

Great Swallow-tailed Swift

Gefieder

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 …

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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.

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.

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