Black Swift vs Alpine Swift
Cypseloides niger в сравнении с Tachymarptis melba
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Характеристика | Black Swift | Alpine Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Научное название | Cypseloides niger | Tachymarptis melba |
| Отряд | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Семейство | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Охранный статус | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Длина | — | — |
| Размах крыльев | 29,9 cm (11.8 in) | 43,9 cm (17.3 in) |
| Масса | 41,55 g (1.47 oz) | 97,5 g (3.44 oz) |
| Питание | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. | Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … |
| Размер кладки | 1 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Black Swift
Soft, buzzy chittering 'spee-spee'; thin twittering over mountain waterfalls; higher and softer than Common Swift; small flocks call weakly over nesting cliffs
Alpine Swift
Rapid series of short, clipped whistles; bright, clean notes delivered in quick succession with occasional doubled phrase.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Swift
Breeds in western North America from Alaska south to California and the Caribbean. Migrates to winter in Mexico and Central America.
Alpine Swift
Breeds from southern Europe and North Africa east through Central Asia and the Himalayas to India. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
Охранный статус
Black Swift
Alpine Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Black Swift
Entirely black with slight glossy sheen; faint pale scaling on forehead and chin in fresh plumage; broad-winged and large-bodied; slightly forked tail; sexes alike; North American cliff-nesting swift with wholly …
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
Black Swift
A large swift (15-18 cm, wingspan 38 cm) with all-dark plumage and a slightly forked tail. Breeds on sea cliffs and behind waterfalls across western North America and the Caribbean. Aerial insectivore, foraging high over mountains and valleys. A long-distance migrant wintering in South America.
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.