Great Dusky Swift vs Papuan Spinetail

Cypseloides senex verglichen mit Mearnsia novaeguineae

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Great Dusky Swift Papuan Spinetail
Wissenschaftlicher Name Cypseloides senex Mearnsia novaeguineae
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Apodidae Apodidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 33,8 cm (13.3 in) 26,0 cm (10.2 in)
Gewicht 83,0 g (2.93 oz) 34,0 g (1.20 oz)
Ernährung Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight.
Gelegegröße 1-2 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Great Dusky Swift only

-

Papuan Spinetail only

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Song & Call Comparison

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

Papuan Spinetail

Gesang

Rapid buzzy twittering; sharp 'tsit-tsit-tsit' in low speedy flight; calls in tight flocks over New Guinea forest and rivers; wings produce audible whirring sound in fast flight

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Geographic Range & Migration

Great Dusky Swift

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

Papuan Spinetail

Found in New Guinea from the northern coast to central ranges. Resident in lowland and hill forest along rivers and forest edge up to 1,500 m.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

Least Concern

Papuan Spinetail

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How to Tell Them Apart

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 …

Papuan Spinetail

Gefieder

Dark blackish-brown upperparts; paler brownish-grey underparts; pale chin; short spiny tail with projecting shaft tips; New Guinea species; larger than Philippine Spinetail with broader wings relative to body; robust spinetail …

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About These Birds

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.

Papuan Spinetail

A large spinetail swift (12-14 cm) found in New Guinea and nearby islands. Dark plumage with spine-tipped tail feathers used for bracing against vertical surfaces. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest. Nests in tree hollows. Limited ecological data.

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