African Palm Swift vs Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Cypsiurus parvus comparado con Panyptila cayennensis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo African Palm Swift Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Nombre científico Cypsiurus parvus Panyptila cayennensis
Orden Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familia Apodidae Apodidae
Estado de conservación Least Concern Least Concern
Longitud
Envergadura 27,2 cm (10.7 in) 23,8 cm (9.4 in)
Peso 14,38 g (0.51 oz) 21,8 g (0.77 oz)
Dieta Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. Aerial insectivore feeding on swarms of small flies, winged ants, and tiny beetles during sustained …
Tamaño de la puesta 1-3 2-3
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Hábitats compartidos

African Palm Swift only

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift only

Ninguno

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Song & Call Comparison

African Palm Swift

Canto

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

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Canto

Dry, clicking chatter interspersed with thin whistles; rapid mechanical trill delivered with persistent energy throughout day.

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Geographic Range & Migration

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.

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Found from Mexico south through Central America and South America to Bolivia and Brazil. Resident in lowland and foothill forest edge.

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Estado de conservación

Least Concern

African Palm Swift

Least Concern

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

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.

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Plumaje

Black upperparts; white throat and white flanks; white rump patch; deeply forked long tail; smaller version of Great Swallow-tailed Swift; widespread from Mexico to South America; forked tail and bold …

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About These Birds

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.

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

A medium-sized swift (13-14 cm) with a moderately forked tail and white throat patch. Found from southern Mexico through Central America to Peru and Brazil. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy and clearings. Nests under overhanging cliffs and bridges.

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