Great Dusky Swift vs Sao Tome Spinetail

Cypseloides senex verglichen mit Zoonavena thomensis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Great Dusky Swift Sao Tome Spinetail
Wissenschaftlicher Name Cypseloides senex Zoonavena thomensis
Ordnung Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familie Apodidae Apodidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 33,8 cm (13.3 in) 21,9 cm (8.6 in)
Gewicht 83,0 g (2.93 oz) 8,0 g (0.28 oz)
Ernährung Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … Aerial insectivore feeding on tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders in rapid powerful aerial pursuit.
Gelegegröße 1-2 2-4
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Great Dusky Swift only

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Sao Tome Spinetail only

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

Sao Tome Spinetail

Gesang

Sharp, high-frequency twittering with staccato clicking notes; rapid-fire chips strung together in buzzy aerial sequences.

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.

Sao Tome Spinetail

Endemic to São Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Resident in lowland forest and forest edge. Small island population vulnerable to habitat loss.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

Least Concern

Sao Tome Spinetail

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 …

Sao Tome Spinetail

Gefieder

Tiny; dark blackish-brown upperparts; white rump patch; pale whitish underparts; short spiny tail; São Tomé Island endemic; very similar to Madagascar Spinetail but restricted to Gulf of Guinea; one of …

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.

Sao Tome Spinetail

A medium-sized spinetail swift (12-13 cm) endemic to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy. Colonial nester. Restricted range on two small islands. Classified as Near Threatened.

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