Great Swallow-tailed Swift vs Alpine Swift
Panyptila sanctihieronymi comparé à Tachymarptis melba
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Great Swallow-tailed Swift | Alpine Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Panyptila sanctihieronymi | Tachymarptis melba |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 36,8 cm (14.5 in) | 43,9 cm (17.3 in) |
| Poids | 48,416666666666664 g (1.71 oz) | 97,5 g (3.44 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Catches aerial plankton — tiny midges, gnats, and ballooning spiders — continuously during soaring flight. | Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … |
| Taille de la couvée | 2-3 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Soft, rippling trill with liquid overtones; easy flowing sequence of mellow notes carrying pleasantly across open sky.
Alpine Swift
Rapid series of short, clipped whistles; bright, clean notes delivered in quick succession with occasional doubled phrase.
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Found from southern Mexico through Guatemala, Honduras, to Costa Rica. Resident in humid highland forest at 600–2,000 m elevation.
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
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Alpine Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
Black upperparts with white throat and white flanks; bold white rump patch; extremely long deeply forked tail with white outer feather edges; Central American species with the most spectacular forked …
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
Great Swallow-tailed Swift
A large swift (18-20 cm) with an extremely long, deeply forked tail. Dark plumage with a white throat and collar. Found in highland forests from southern Mexico to Honduras. Aerial insectivore, foraging over mountain canyons and pine-oak forests. Uncommon and rarely observed.
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.