Great Dusky Swift vs Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Cypseloides senex comparé à Panyptila cayennensis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Great Dusky Swift Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Nom scientifique Cypseloides senex Panyptila cayennensis
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Apodidae Apodidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 33,8 cm (13.3 in) 23,8 cm (9.4 in)
Poids 83,0 g (2.93 oz) 21,8 g (0.77 oz)
Régime alimentaire Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … Aerial insectivore feeding on swarms of small flies, winged ants, and tiny beetles during sustained …
Taille de la couvée 1-2 2-3
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Great Dusky Swift only

Aucun(e)

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift only

Aucun(e)

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Song & Call Comparison

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

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Chant

Dry, clicking chatter interspersed with thin whistles; rapid mechanical trill delivered with persistent energy throughout day.

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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.

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Found from Mexico south through Central America and South America to Bolivia and Brazil. Resident in lowland and foothill forest edge.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Great Dusky Swift

Least Concern

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

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 …

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Plumage

Black upperparts; white throat and white flanks; white rump patch; deeply forked long tail; smaller version of Great Swallow-tailed Swift; widespread from Mexico to South America; forked tail and bold …

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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.

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

A medium-sized swift (13-14 cm) with a moderately forked tail and white throat patch. Found from southern Mexico through Central America to Peru and Brazil. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy and clearings. Nests under overhanging cliffs and bridges.

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