Great Dusky Swift vs Mottled Spinetail
Cypseloides senex comparé à Telacanthura ussheri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Great Dusky Swift | Mottled Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Cypseloides senex | Telacanthura ussheri |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 33,8 cm (13.3 in) | 29,1 cm (11.5 in) |
| Poids | 83,0 g (2.93 oz) | 32,65 g (1.15 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … | Aerial diet of small flying insects and spiders; forages at speed over forest and open … |
| Taille de la couvée | 1-2 | 4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Great Dusky Swift
Loud, churring trill; harsher and louder than other Cypseloides; calls over Iguacu Falls and major Neotropical waterfalls; buzzy 'bzzzt-bzzzt' in aerial groups
Mottled Spinetail
Harsh, grating screech followed by rapid chattering; loud, raspy trill repeated insistently near colony roost sites.
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Dusky Swift
Found in eastern South America from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Bolivia and Paraguay. Resident near rocky cliffs and waterfalls.
Mottled Spinetail
Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Gambia east to Ethiopia and south to Zambia. Resident in forest, forest edge, and savanna woodland.
Statut de conservation
Great Dusky Swift
Mottled Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Great Dusky Swift
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 …
Mottled Spinetail
Large spinetail; dark blackish-brown upperparts; white-mottled pale greyish underparts creating distinctively spotted belly; white rump band; spiny tail tips; African forest species with unique mottled underpart pattern among spinetails.
About These Birds
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.
Mottled Spinetail
A medium-sized spinetail swift (14-15 cm) found in tropical forests across sub-Saharan Africa. Dark plumage with white mottling on the throat and belly. Spine-tipped tail for clinging to vertical surfaces. Aerial insectivore. Nests inside hollow trees and palm trunks.