Short-tailed swift

Last updated

Short-tailed swift
Chaetura brachyura - Short-tailed Swift.JPG
flying over Cristalino river, Mato Grosso state, Brazil
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Strisores
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Apodidae
Genus: Chaetura
Species:
C. brachyura
Binomial name
Chaetura brachyura
(Jardine, 1846)
Chaetura brachyura map.svg

The short-tailed swift (Chaetura brachyura) is a bird in the Apodidae, or swift family.

Contents

Taxonomy

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. [2]

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). [3]

Four subspecies are recognized:

The subspecies C. b. ocypetes is sometimes considered a full species, the Tumbes swiftChaetura ocypetes Zimmer, 1953.

Distribution and habitat

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, [5] but has been recorded as high as 1,300 m ASL. [6] It is found in a range of habitats including savanna, open woodland, and cultivation.

Description

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.

Behaviour

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.

Breeding

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.

Feeding

The swift feeds in flight on flying insects, including winged ants and termites.

Footnotes

  1. BirdLife International (2020). "Chaetura brachyura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T22686725A168010927. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22686725A168010927.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Jardine, Sir William (1846). "XV. Horae Zoologicae. No. VIII. Ornithology of the Island of Tobago". The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Including Zoology, Botany, and Geology. XVIII: 120. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  3. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names : from aalge to zusii. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 76, 98. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (Eds.). "Master Lists – IOC World Bird List 12.1". IOC World Bird List. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  5. Laverde-R. et al. (2005)
  6. Cuervo et al. (2007)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green hermit</span> Species of bird

The green hermit is a large hummingbird that is a resident breeder from southern Central America south to northern South America

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White hawk</span> Species of bird

The white hawk is a bird of prey breeding in the tropical New World of the family Accipitridae. Though it is commonly placed in the subfamily Buteoninae, the validity of this group is doubtful and currently under review.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated mango</span> Species of hummingbird

The black-throated mango is a species in subfamily Polytminae of the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It is found in Panama, in every mainland South American country except Chile, and in Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-breasted hermit</span> Species of hummingbird

The rufous-breasted hermit or hairy hermit is a hummingbird that breeds from Panama south to Bolivia, and on Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada. It is a widespread and generally common species, though local populations may change in numbers and disappear altogether in marginal habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band-rumped swift</span> Species of bird

The band-rumped swift is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found from Panama south through Colombia into Ecuador, east from Venezuela into the Guianas and Brazil, and on Trinidad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-rumped swift</span> Species of bird

The grey-rumped swift or gray-rumped swift is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama; in every mainland South American country except Chile, French Guiana, Suriname, and Uruguay; in Trinidad and Tobago; and on Grenada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lineated woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The lineated woodpecker is a very large woodpecker which is a resident breeding bird from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and Trinidad in the Caribbean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speckled tanager</span> Species of bird

The speckled tanager is a medium-sized passerine bird. It is a resident breeder in Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname and the extreme north of Brazil. There are also sight records from French Guiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moriche oriole</span> Subspecies of bird

The moriche oriole is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It is unrelated to Old World orioles. It is a breeding resident in the tropics of eastern South America. This bird is noted for its close association with the palm Mauritia flexuosa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-rumped cacique</span> Species of bird

The yellow-rumped cacique is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in much of northern South America from Panama and Trinidad south to Peru, Bolivia and central Brazil. However, they have been sighted as far north as Nayarit state in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-chinned spinetail</span> Species of bird

The yellow-chinned spinetail is a passerine bird found in the tropical New World from Trinidad and Colombia south to Argentina and Uruguay. It is a member of the South American ovenbird family Furnariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern beardless tyrannulet</span> Species of bird

The southern beardless tyrannulet is a small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds from Costa Rica through South America south to Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-throated spadebill</span> Species of bird

The white-throated spadebill is a tiny passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It lives in the tropical Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-headed oropendola</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-headed oropendola is a New World tropical icterid bird. The scientific name of the species commemorates Johann Georg Wagler, who established Psarocolius, the oropendola genus.

<i>Scytalopus</i> Genus of birds

Scytalopus is a genus of small suboscine passerine birds belonging to the tapaculo family Rhinocryptidae. They are found in South and Central America from Tierra del Fuego to Costa Rica, but are absent from the Amazon Basin. They inhabit dense vegetation at or near ground-level and are mainly found in mountainous regions, particularly the Andes. They can be very difficult to see as they run through the undergrowth in a mouse-like fashion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapman's swift</span> Species of bird

Chapman's swift is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela, and possibly Ecuador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-fronted nunbird</span> Species of bird

The white-fronted nunbird is a species of near-passerine bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. It is found Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barred forest falcon</span> Species of bird

The barred forest falcon is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It occurs from southern Mexico south through most of Central America and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saffron-headed parrot</span> Species of bird

The saffron-headed parrot is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apodinae</span> Subfamily of birds

The Apodinae are a subfamily of swifts and contain the following species:

References