Costa Rican Swift vs Alpine Swift
Chaetura fumosa comparé à Tachymarptis melba
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Costa Rican Swift | Alpine Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Chaetura fumosa | Tachymarptis melba |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 21,2 cm (8.3 in) | 43,9 cm (17.3 in) |
| Poids | 18,2 g (0.64 oz) | 97,5 g (3.44 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Entirely airborne feeder on tiny flies, gnats, and airborne arachnids; one of the most aerial … | Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … |
| Taille de la couvée | -- | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Costa Rican Swift
Thin, insect-like buzz alternating with soft clicks; delicate high trill delivered during swift wheeling flight over valleys.
Alpine Swift
Rapid series of short, clipped whistles; bright, clean notes delivered in quick succession with occasional doubled phrase.
Geographic Range & Migration
Costa Rican Swift
Found along the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and Panama. Resident in lowland and foothill forest and forest edge below 1,000 m.
Alpine Swift
Breeds from southern Europe and North Africa east through Central Asia and the Himalayas to India. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
Statut de conservation
Costa Rican Swift
Alpine Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Costa Rican Swift
Small; uniformly dark sooty-brown with rump barely paler than dark back; underparts dark grey-brown; short spiny tail; Central American Pacific slope species; exceptionally dark and uniform compared to most Chaetura …
Alpine Swift
Large; dark brown upperparts; white throat patch separated from white belly by dark brown breast band; brown flanks; bold tricoloured underpart pattern; one of Europe's largest swifts with distinctive white …
About These Birds
Costa Rican Swift
A small swift (11 cm) endemic to the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and western Panama. Dark plumage with a pale grey rump band. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore of humid forest canopy. Poorly known; restricted range in Central American lowland forests.
Alpine Swift
A large swift (20-22 cm, wingspan 54-60 cm) with a white belly and throat contrasting with dark brown upperparts. Found from southern Europe and Africa to Central Asia. Aerial insectivore, foraging at great heights. Nests on cliff faces in large colonies. Powerful, fast flier.