Australian Swiftlet vs Pallid Swift

Aerodramus terraereginae comparé à Apus pallidus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Australian Swiftlet Pallid Swift
Nom scientifique Aerodramus terraereginae Apus pallidus
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Apodidae Apodidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 22,2 cm (8.7 in) 33,4 cm (13.1 in)
Poids 11,2 g (0.40 oz) 42,25 g (1.49 oz)
Régime alimentaire Aerial insectivore catching tiny flying insects, midges, and airborne spiders in fast low-altitude flight near … Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders.
Taille de la couvée 1 1-4
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Aucun(e)

Australian Swiftlet only

Pallid Swift only

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Song & Call Comparison

Australian Swiftlet

Chant

Rapid, chattering 'tsit-tsit'; thin twittering over Queensland coast; audible echolocation clicks in cave roosts; flock produces overlapping calls; only Australian cave-nesting swiftlet

Pallid Swift

Chant

Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Australian Swiftlet

Found in northeastern Australia and New Guinea. Resident in lowland rainforest, forest edge, and open areas. Nests in caves and overhangs.

Pallid Swift

Breeds in the Mediterranean and North Africa east to Pakistan. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Australian Swiftlet

Least Concern

Pallid Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Australian Swiftlet

Plumage

Small; dark grey-brown upperparts; pale grey-white rump band; underparts pale greyish; forked tail; Australian cave-nesting endemic using echolocation; closely resembles White-rumped Swiftlet but with narrower paler rump band.

Pallid Swift

Plumage

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 …

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About These Birds

Australian Swiftlet

A small swiftlet (11-12 cm) found in northeastern Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. Grey-brown plumage with a pale rump. Aerial insectivore, foraging over rainforest and woodland. Colonial nester in caves and abandoned mines. Uses echolocation. Australia's only breeding swiftlet.

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.

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