White-collared swift | |
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Streptoprocne zonaris altissima Los Nevados, Colombia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Clade: | Strisores |
Order: | Apodiformes |
Family: | Apodidae |
Genus: | Streptoprocne |
Species: | S. zonaris |
Binomial name | |
Streptoprocne zonaris (Shaw, 1796) | |
The white-collared swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) is a species of bird in the subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Mexico, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, and every mainland South American country except Chile. [2] [3] [4]
The white-collared swift has these nine recognized subspecies: [2]
The white-collared swift is the largest species of swift in its range except in northwestern Mexico, where it and the slightly larger white-naped swift (S. semicollaris) are sympatric. The white-collared swift is 20 to 21.5 cm (7.9 to 8.5 in) long and weighs 90 to 125 g (3.2 to 4.4 oz). It has a wingspan of 45 to 55 cm (18 to 22 in). It has a very slightly forked tail and the sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a white collar that circles the neck and is broadest on the breast. Their forehead is sooty, most of the head dark sooty black, the tail grayish black, and the rest of the plumage black. The back, rump, and uppertail coverts have a slight blue gloss. Juveniles are duller and sootier than adults and have grayish white to white tips on most of their body feathers. There are minor differences among the subspecies in the width of the white collar, the shades of black on the body and tail, and the amount of white fringing on the juvenile. [5]
The subspecies of the white-collared swift are found thus: [2] [5] [4]
The species has also been noted as a vagrant on Aruba but which subspecies is not known. [4] Further north it has also occurred as a documented vagrant in Texas and Florida and there are sight records from California, Michigan, and several locations in northern Mexico. [6]
The white-collared swift inhabits a large variety of landscapes. It is most common over montane and submontane evergreen forests, and is also found over lowland evergreen forests, secondary forests, and more open habitats like scrublands. In elevation, it ranges from lowlands to 3,600 m (11,800 ft). [5]
The only documented predation on white-collared swifts was by Virginia opossums, which raid and eat the young in nests, and peregrine falcons, which are known to wait near colony entrances to take birds as they enter or leave. [7]
The white-collared swift is usually considered to be resident throughout its range. However, it has many times been documented beyond its usual northern limit and also makes significant movements to lower elevations to escape bad weather. [5]
Like all swifts, the white-collared is an aerial insectivore. Details of its diet are lacking, but a pair of specimens from southern Mexico had fed almost exclusively on flying ants. It often feeds in flocks of 200 or more that sometimes include other swift species. It has a powerful, fast, and direct flight, and will ascend thermals to great heights. White-collared swifts attain or exceed flying speeds of 70 to 100 km/h (43 to 62 mph). [5] [8] [9]
The white-collared swift's nesting season in southern Mexico and Costa Rica includes at least April and May; it has not been documented elsewhere. It nests in colonies within caves, which often contain a stream or are behind a waterfall. It builds its nest on a ledge or other protrusion or in a niche, sometimes behind a waterfall. Nests are flattish circles made from some or all of mud, moss, and insect chitin lined with leaves or fern fronds; the materials used can differ between colonies. In two studies they measured 120 to 170 mm (4.7 to 6.7 in) in diameter with depths of 30 to 90 mm (1.2 to 3.5 in). The clutch size is two eggs. The incubation period and time to fledging are not known; nestlings become independent 45 to 55 days after hatch. [5] [8] [7] [9]
The white-collared swift's vocalizations have been described as "nasal twitter of chee chee chee, whiss whiss" and "scratchy but not shrill tseet, tchee, and chirrio notes". Flock members may call in unison. [5] A flock makes "an impressive swooshing rush of air" when rapidly descending, as down a valley. [10]
The IUCN has assessed the white-collared swift as being of Least Concern. It has an extremely large range and an estimated population of at least five million mature individuals, though the population is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified. [1] "Populations are not known to be affected by humans." [5]
The collared trogon is a near passerine bird in family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found in Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America.
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.
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.
The chestnut-collared swift is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found from Mexico and Trinidad south to Peru and Bolivia.
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The scrub greenlet or scrub vireo is a small passerine bird in the vireo family. It breeds in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Tobago. They can be found in the southernmost part of Central America and northern South America, which can be defined as extending from Venezuela to Colombia.
The black-whiskered vireo is a small passerine bird, which breeds in southern Florida, USA, and the West Indies as far south as the offshore islands of Venezuela. It is a partial migrant, with northern birds wintering from the Greater Antilles to northern South America. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to Costa Rica.
The scarlet-rumped cacique is a passerine bird species in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds from eastern Honduras to Panama and in the Pacific lowlands of South America from western Colombia south to Ecuador, and in the lower reaches of the northern Andes. There are several subspecies, some of which have been proposed for elevation to full species status.
The white-tipped swift is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and possibly Guyana.
The spot-fronted swift is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
The white-chinned swift is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found from Mexico south through most Central America countries into South America as far south as Peru and east as far as Suriname.
The great dusky swift is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and possibly Bolivia.
The great swallow-tailed swift is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The biscutate swift is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and possibly Paraguay.
Streptoprocne is a genus of swifts in the family Apodidae. It contains five species that exist in Central and South America.
The tepui swift is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.
The gartered trogon, also known as the northern violaceous trogon, is a bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found in Mexico, all of Central America, and Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Vaux's swift is a small swift native to North America, Central America, and northern South America. It was named for the American scientist William Sansom Vaux.
The Cypseloidinae are a subfamily of swifts and contain the following species: