Black-nest Swiftlet vs Great Dusky Swift

Aerodramus maximus comparé à Cypseloides senex

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Black-nest Swiftlet Great Dusky Swift
Nom scientifique Aerodramus maximus Cypseloides senex
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Apodidae Apodidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 25,8 cm (10.2 in) 33,8 cm (13.3 in)
Poids 16,8 g (0.59 oz) 83,0 g (2.93 oz)
Régime alimentaire Aerial plankton feeder taking tiny midges, fungus gnats, and ballooning spiders in rapid coursing flights. Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial …
Taille de la couvée 1 1-2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Black-nest Swiftlet only

Great Dusky Swift only

Aucun(e)

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Song & Call Comparison

Black-nest Swiftlet

Chant

Rapid twittering; thin 'tsit-tsit' over Southeast Asian forest; audible echolocation clicks in caves; larger than many swiftlets; slightly louder calls; colonial nester with dark nest

Great Dusky Swift

Chant

Loud, churring trill; harsher and louder than other Cypseloides; calls over Iguacu Falls and major Neotropical waterfalls; buzzy 'bzzzt-bzzzt' in aerial groups

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Geographic Range & Migration

Black-nest Swiftlet

Found from the Nicobar Islands through the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and the Philippines. Famous for edible nests made of pure saliva.

Great Dusky Swift

Found in eastern South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia and Paraguay. Resident near rocky cliffs and waterfalls.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Black-nest Swiftlet

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Black-nest Swiftlet

Plumage

Medium-small; dark sooty-brown upperparts with rump slightly paler grey-brown; underparts dark sooty-grey; forked tail; one of the largest Aerodramus swiftlets; named for its distinctive all-black saliva nest rather than visible …

Great Dusky Swift

Plumage

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 …

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About These Birds

Black-nest Swiftlet

A medium-sized swiftlet (13-14 cm) found from the Malay Peninsula through Indonesia to the Philippines. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore. Colonial cave nester, building nests primarily of dark feathers cemented with saliva on cave walls. Commercially harvested for bird's nest soup.

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.

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