Chestnut-collared Swift
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| iChestnut-collared Swift | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
| Cypseloides rutilus (Vieillot, 1817) |
The Chestnut-collared Swift, Cypseloides rutilus, is a resident breeding bird from Mexico and Trinidad south to Peru and Bolivia.
This swift builds a nest of mud and plant material on a vertical surface in a damp shady location near water, such as in a cave, under a bridge, or in a culvert. The nest is shaped like a flattened cone, and the two white eggs are incubated by both sexes for 23 days, with a further 40 days to fledging. Although breeding occurs at all levels where there are suitable sites, this species usually feeds over hill forests or more open woodland at 500m or more.
Chestnut-collared Swift is a medium-sized species, 12.7-13.5 cm long, with a longish tail, and weighing 20 g. The male is blackish with a rufous collar. In females and immatures the rufous collar is incomplete or absent. Young birds also differ from the females in that they have reddish edges to the crown feathers. Chestnut-collared Swift has a chattering chit-chit-chit call.
Chestnut-collared Swift feeds in flight on flying insects, especially flying ants, often at a greater height than other swifts. The young are fed on foodballs made from the collected prey.
[edit] References
- Swifts by Chantler and Driessens, ISBN 1-873403-83-6
- Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
