Pygmy Swiftlet vs Great Dusky Swift

Collocalia troglodytes comparé à Cypseloides senex

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Pygmy Swiftlet Great Dusky Swift
Nom scientifique Collocalia troglodytes Cypseloides senex
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Apodidae Apodidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 18,6 cm (7.3 in) 33,8 cm (13.3 in)
Poids 5,55 g (0.20 oz) 83,0 g (2.93 oz)
Régime alimentaire Obligate aerial insectivore; catches minute flies, beetles, and aerial spiders while foraging near cave roosts. Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial …
Taille de la couvée -- 1-2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Pygmy Swiftlet only

Great Dusky Swift only

Aucun(e)

Song & Call Comparison

Pygmy Swiftlet

Chant

Extremely high, thin twittering; among highest-pitched calls of any bird; 'tseee-tseee' barely audible to adults; uses echolocation clicks in Philippine limestone caves

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

Geographic Range & Migration

Pygmy Swiftlet

Endemic to the Philippines, found on Mindanao and adjacent islands. Resident in lowland forest and coastal caves. One of the smallest swiftlets.

Great Dusky Swift

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

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Pygmy Swiftlet

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

How to Tell Them Apart

Pygmy Swiftlet

Plumage

Tiny; dark blue-black upperparts with faint iridescence; white or pale buff rump band; underparts pale greyish-white; slightly forked tail; one of the smallest swiftlets in the Philippines; cave-nesting with pale …

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 …

About These Birds

Pygmy Swiftlet

The smallest swiftlet (9 cm), endemic to the Philippines. Dark grey-brown plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging in small flocks over forest. Colonial cave nester. Despite being common, poorly studied due to the difficulty of distinguishing small, dark swiftlets in flight.

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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