Short-tailed Swift
Chaetura brachyura
Fairly small, dark swift found in lowlands and foothills throughout much of northern South America. Shape is distinctive compared with other Chaetura swifts: look for broad wings that bulge along the trailing edge and appear pinched in at the base, accentuating the short, square tail. Fairly common. Often occurs in loose flocks that forage over forests, rivers, and adjacent open areas.
识别特征
The short-tailed swift is about 10.5 cm long, and weighs 20 g. It has long narrow wings, a robust body and a short tail. The sexes are similar. It is mainly black with a pale rump and tail. It can be distinguished from related species in its range, such as the band-rumped swift (C. spinicauda) or the gray-rumped swift (C. cinereiventris) by the lack of contrast between the rump and the tail, the latter being much darker in the other species.
分类信息
The species was first formally described as Acanthylis brachyura in 1846 by the Scottish naturalist Sir William Jardine, based on the observations of Mr. Kirk, a resident of Tobago.<p>The genus name Chaetura is derived from the Greek khaite (hair) and oura (tail). The specific epithet brachyura is Greek for brakhus (short) and ouros (tailed).<p>Four subspecies are recognized:<p>The subspecies C. b. ocypetes is sometimes considered a full species, the Tumbes swift Chaetura ocypetes Zimmer, 1953.
- 学名
- Chaetura brachyura
- 命名信息
- (Jardine, 1846)
- 目
- Apodiformes
- 科
- Apodidae
- 属
- Chaetura
分布与栖息地
The swift is a common resident of Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada and Saint Vincent, and in tropical South America from Panama, Colombia and the Guianas south to Ecuador, Peru and Brazil; in Brazil, the entire Amazon Basin, excluding much of the southeastern Basin. It rarely occurs over 800 m ASL even in the hottest parts of its range and in mountainous or hilly terrain it inhabits, but has been recorded as high as 1,300 m ASL. It is found in a range of habitats including savanna, open woodland, and cultivation.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
It is very gregarious and forms communal roosts when not breeding. Predation by bats at the nest sites has been suspected. The flight call is a rapid chittering sti-sti-stew-stew-stew.<p>The nest is a 5 cm wide shallow half-saucer of twigs and saliva attached to a vertical surface. This is often a man-made structure like a chimney or manhole, as with its relative, the chimney swift (C. pelagica), but natural caves and tree cavities are also used. Up to seven white eggs (average 3 or 4) are incubated by both parents for 17–18 days. The young leave the nest in a further two weeks, but remain near it, clinging to the cavity wall without flying, for another two weeks.<p>The swift feeds in flight on flying insects, including winged ants and termites.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Flores Crow
Corvus florensis
An entirely black crow confined to the island of Flores. Found in small, vocal parties within forest in lowlands and hills. Overlaps with Large-billed Crow, and similarly large-billed, but Flores Crow is smaller-bodied with a relatively smaller bill, and lacks the pronounced steep forehead characteristic of Large-billed Crow. Flores Crow is also a forest species, avoiding open habitats, and has a distinctive voice. Vocalizations are odd for a crow, including babylike, whining, high-pitched “waa” and “we-we-we” calls, the latter sometimes followed by a deep “kyop.” Also gives high “kraaa” notes, a throaty, disyllabic “kwiyou,” and other gurgling sounds.
Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca
Large, terrestrial songbird with long, strong legs and fairly long, thin bill. Male black above, white below, with white wing patch, white face patch, white eye, black bib, black eyeline; female has white throat and immature a dark eye. Inhabits parks, gardens, and urban areas. Aggressive and noisy, often attacking its own reflection in car mirrors and windows. Much smaller than Australian Magpie, with a smaller pale bill.
Vegetarian Finch
Platyspiza crassirostris
A large and rather parrot-billed Galápagos finch. Bill is about as long as it is deep, with a very round upper edge and slightly curved lower edge. Male has a black hood and bill, a sooty back, and a yellowish belly with dark streaks. Female is tan with a pale bill, a whitish or yellowish belly, and brown streaks on the underparts. Very similar to Large Tree-Finch, which is smaller and smaller-billed. Most likely to be encountered in forest at middle elevations on the larger islands. Not present on the islands of Española, Genovesa, and Santa Fé.
开始您的观鸟之旅
在户外识别鸟类，并在下一次观察时随手查阅鸟类图鉴。