Whitehead's Swiftlet vs African Palm Swift

Aerodramus whiteheadi comparado con Cypsiurus parvus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Whitehead's Swiftlet African Palm Swift
Nombre científico Aerodramus whiteheadi Cypsiurus parvus
Orden Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familia Apodidae Apodidae
Estado de conservación Data Deficient Least Concern
Longitud
Envergadura 27,2 cm (10.7 in) 27,2 cm (10.7 in)
Peso 14,0 g (0.49 oz) 14,38 g (0.51 oz)
Dieta Aerial plankton feeder taking tiny midges, fungus gnats, and ballooning spiders in rapid coursing flights. Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km.
Tamaño de la puesta -- 1-3
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Hábitats compartidos

Whitehead's Swiftlet only

Ninguno

African Palm Swift only

Song & Call Comparison

Whitehead's Swiftlet

Canto

Thin twittering; 'chip-chip' calls over Borneo highlands; echolocation clicks in cave roosts; data deficient; calls poorly documented from remote Bornean montane habitat

African Palm Swift

Canto

Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.

Geographic Range & Migration

Whitehead's Swiftlet

Endemic to the highlands of Borneo at 800–3,000 m. Resident in montane forest on Mount Kinabalu and the Crocker Range.

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.

Estado de conservación

Data Deficient

Whitehead's Swiftlet

Least Concern

African Palm Swift

How to Tell Them Apart

Whitehead's Swiftlet

Plumaje

Small; dark brownish-grey upperparts; pale buff-grey rump band; underparts pale grey-white; forked tail; Philippine endemic from Luzon; data-deficient species differing from Philippine Swiftlet mainly in habitat preference and island range.

African Palm Swift

Plumaje

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

Whitehead's Swiftlet

A small swiftlet (11-12 cm) endemic to the mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines. Dark plumage with a pale rump. Aerial insectivore of montane forest canopy above 1,000 m. Colonial cave nester using echolocation. Named after John Whitehead. Poorly known.

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.

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