Great Dusky Swift vs Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Cypseloides senex verglichen mit Tachornis squamata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Great Dusky Swift | Fork-tailed Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Cypseloides senex | Tachornis squamata |
| Ordnung | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familie | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 33,8 cm (13.3 in) | 20,7 cm (8.1 in) |
| Gewicht | 83,0 g (2.93 oz) | 10,4 g (0.37 oz) |
| Ernährung | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … | Obligate aerial insectivore; takes small flies, beetles, and aerial spiders in swooping fast-flight passes. |
| Gelegegröße | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| 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
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Loud, penetrating scream cutting above all noise; strident series of shrill descending notes, powerful for the bird's size.
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.
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Found in the Amazon basin from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Resident near Mauritia palm swamps.
Erhaltungsstatus
Great Dusky Swift
Fork-tailed 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 …
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Tiny; dark brown-black upperparts; white rump patch; underparts whitish with dark flanks; deeply forked tail; Amazonian species closely resembling Antillean Palm Swift; nests in Mauritia palm fronds; white rump and …
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.
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
A small swift (12-13 cm) found in open country and palm savannas from Central America to southern Brazil and Trinidad. Dark plumage. Long, deeply forked tail. Aerial insectivore, closely associated with various palm species, nesting inside hanging dead palm fronds.