Plain Swift vs White-collared Swift

Apus unicolor verglichen mit Streptoprocne zonaris

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Plain Swift White-collared Swift
Wissenschaftlicher Name Apus unicolor Streptoprocne zonaris
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Apodidae Apodidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 29,9 cm (11.8 in) 42,5 cm (16.7 in)
Gewicht 24,2 g (0.85 oz) 106,45 g (3.75 oz)
Ernährung Exclusively aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and spiders drifting in aerial plankton at altitude. Obligate aerial insectivore; gathers small flying insects, winged ants, and airborne spiders during flight.
Gelegegröße 2 2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Plain Swift only

White-collared Swift only

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Song & Call Comparison

Plain Swift

Gesang

Harsh, grating scream with descending inflection; loud raspy calls carrying urgency, often given during colony disturbance.

White-collared Swift

Gesang

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

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Geographic Range & Migration

Plain Swift

Breeds on the Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. Resident on these Macaronesian archipelagos. Closely related to Common Swift.

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.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Plain Swift

Least Concern

White-collared Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Plain Swift

Gefieder

Dark sooty-brown plumage; very faint pale chin; no distinct throat patch; entirely plain and uniform; smaller than Common Swift; Macaronesian endemic breeding in Canary Islands and Madeira; coloration slightly paler …

White-collared Swift

Gefieder

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 …

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About These Birds

Plain Swift

A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) endemic to the Macaronesian islands of Madeira and the Canaries. Dark brown plumage, slightly paler than Common Swift. Aerial insectivore. Resident population on the islands. Closely related to Common Swift but lacks the pale throat patch.

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.

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