Pallid Swift vs Short-tailed Swift
Apus pallidus comparado con Chaetura brachyura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Pallid Swift | Short-tailed Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Nombre científico | Apus pallidus | Chaetura brachyura |
| Orden | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familia | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Estado de conservación | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longitud | — | — |
| Envergadura | 33,4 cm (13.1 in) | 23,7 cm (9.3 in) |
| Peso | 42,25 g (1.49 oz) | 18,625 g (0.66 oz) |
| Dieta | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. | Feeds exclusively on aerial plankton — tiny flies, aphids, and spiders — captured in continuous … |
| Tamaño de la puesta | 1-4 | 2-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Pallid Swift
Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.
Short-tailed Swift
Harsh, screaming chatter with emphatic delivery; loud coarse notes erupting suddenly during competitive aerial encounters.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pallid Swift
Breeds in the Mediterranean and North Africa east to Pakistan. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Short-tailed Swift
Found across South America east of the Andes, from Trinidad and the Guianas south to Bolivia and the Río de la Plata. Lowland forest.
Estado de conservación
Pallid Swift
Short-tailed Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Pallid Swift
Medium-large; pale brownish-grey overall, distinctly paler than Common Swift; larger pale throat patch; wing coverts show pale scaly edges; Mediterranean and Middle Eastern species; pale sandy-brown tone separates it from …
Short-tailed Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown upperparts; very pale whitish rump and tail contrasting sharply with dark body; underparts pale greyish; extremely short tail giving distinctive blunt-ended flight silhouette; widespread Trinidad to Argentina.
About These Birds
Pallid Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) similar to Common Swift but paler, sandy-brown overall with a larger white throat patch. Found across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Aerial insectivore. Long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Short-tailed Swift
Vencejo de cola corta (Chaetura brachyura), 10–11 cm. Plumaje negro uniforme con rabadilla y cola grises pálidas. Cola extremadamente corta. Ampliamente distribuido en América tropical. Vuela velozmente capturando insectos. Nidifica en palmeras y árboles huecos. Emite gorjeos agudos en vuelo.