Great Dusky Swift vs African Palm Swift
Cypseloides senex verglichen mit Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Great Dusky Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Cypseloides senex | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Ordnung | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familie | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 33,8 cm (13.3 in) | 27,2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Gewicht | 83,0 g (2.93 oz) | 14,38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Ernährung | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Gelegegröße | 1-2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Great Dusky Swift
Loud, churring trill; harsher and louder than other Cypseloides; calls over Iguacu Falls and major Neotropical waterfalls; buzzy 'bzzzt-bzzzt' in aerial groups
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
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.
African Palm Swift
Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Somalia and south to South Africa. Common in open areas near palms; nests in palm leaves.
Erhaltungsstatus
Great Dusky Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Great Dusky Swift
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 …
African Palm Swift
Slender and long-tailed; uniformly pale greyish-brown overall; underparts paler grey-buff; long deeply forked tail; pale uniform appearance with no contrasting markings; widespread African palm-nesting swift with distinctive slender silhouette.
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.
African Palm Swift
A slender swift (15-17 cm) with long, narrow wings and a deeply forked tail. Dark brown plumage. Found across sub-Saharan Africa in savanna and open woodland, closely associated with palm trees. Aerial insectivore. One of Africa's most abundant swift species.