Plain Swift
Apus unicolor
Medium-sized swift, very similar to Common Swift, but is noticeably paler, especially against a dark background. Wings are narrower and very pointed and the tail is longer and more deeply forked than Common or Pallid Swifts. Pale throat patch not distinct and difficult to see. Flight is very fast, agile, and erratic. Gives a shrill, wheezy scream that “hiccups” at the end. Breeds primarily on Madeira and the Canary Islands, but may move to North Africa in winter.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Apus unicolor
- Authority
- (Jardine, 1830)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Apodidae
- Genus
- Apus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- AF : Madeira (all islands) and Canary is. (all islands; nc to c Macaronesia, nw of n Africa); may breed adjacent Moroccan coast
- Non-breeding range
- to adjacent Moroccan coast
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Imperial Snipe
Gallinago imperialis
Hulking snipe of high-elevation elfin forest in the Andes. Large with a thick, drooping bill. Upperparts are black with bold cinnamon scaling; underparts are buff with black scaling, becoming paler on belly. It is larger, bulkier, and more brightly-colored than other high-Andean snipe. Shy and rarely seen; most likely encountered in dim, misty conditions when it may venture out onto a quiet trail. At display sites, birds fly overhead giving low, grating calls followed by a mechanical humming sound.
Southern Citril
Crithagra hyposticta
Small seedeater with a sharp bill and forked tail. The upperparts are olive-green and the underparts pale yellow with some streaking. Males and females are similar. Found at middle and high elevations in a variety of habitats, including forest edge, gardens, cultivation, moist scrub, and woodland. Usually in small flocks. The song is a fast jumble of high-pitched twitters and whistles. Similar to Western Citril, but there is virtually no overlap in range, and further separated by the lack of a strong pale eyebrow, and the lack of a black face on the male.
Sibilant Sirystes
Sirystes sibilator
Quite large flycatcher that lives mostly in the canopy of forests and woodlands. Grayish overall, but note the black crested crown, black wings with prominent white edges, and a dark tail. Usually accompanies mixed-species flocks acting as a flock leader. The song is a loud and descending “pepepew-pepepew.”
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