Plain Swift vs White-collared Swift

Apus unicolor comparado com Streptoprocne zonaris

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Plain Swift White-collared Swift
Nome científico Apus unicolor Streptoprocne zonaris
Ordem Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Família Apodidae Apodidae
Estado de conservação Least Concern Least Concern
Comprimento
Envergadura 29,9 cm (11.8 in) 42,5 cm (16.7 in)
Peso 24,2 g (0.85 oz) 106,45 g (3.75 oz)
Dieta Exclusively aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and spiders drifting in aerial plankton at altitude. Obligate aerial insectivore; gathers small flying insects, winged ants, and airborne spiders during flight.
Tamanho da postura 2 2
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partilhados

Plain Swift only

White-collared Swift only

Nenhum

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Song & Call Comparison

Plain Swift

Canto

Harsh, grating scream with descending inflection; loud raspy calls carrying urgency, often given during colony disturbance.

White-collared Swift

Canto

Loud, screaming 'shreee-shreee'; powerful screeching trill; calls from large flocks over mountains; very audible; one of the loudest Neotropical swifts; alarm a harsh rattle

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Geographic Range & Migration

Plain Swift

Breeds on the Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. Resident on these Macaronesian archipelagos. Closely related to Common Swift.

White-collared Swift

Found from Mexico south through Central America to South America east of the Andes, reaching Bolivia and southern Brazil. Often in large flocks.

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Estado de conservação

Least Concern

Plain Swift

Least Concern

White-collared Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Plain Swift

Plumagem

Dark sooty-brown plumage; very faint pale chin; no distinct throat patch; entirely plain and uniform; smaller than Common Swift; Macaronesian endemic breeding in Canary Islands and Madeira; coloration slightly paler …

White-collared Swift

Plumagem

Large; glossy blue-black plumage with bold broad white collar encircling entire neck; collar clean and complete; underparts black; large slightly forked tail; among the most recognisable Neotropical swifts due to …

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About These Birds

Plain Swift

A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) endemic to the Macaronesian islands of Madeira and the Canaries. Dark brown plumage, slightly paler than Common Swift. Aerial insectivore. Resident population on the islands. Closely related to Common Swift but lacks the pale throat patch.

White-collared Swift

A very large swift (20-22 cm, wingspan 45-55 cm) with a bold white collar band, the largest New World swift. Found from Mexico to southern Brazil and the Caribbean. Aerial insectivore, foraging in large, noisy flocks over forests and cities. Nests behind waterfalls and in caves.

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