Bird Guide

Andean Swift vs White-tipped Swift

Andean Swift (Aeronautes andecolus)

Andean Swift

Aeronautes andecolus

Small18 gShrubland

The Andean swift is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. It has sharply pointed wings and a long deeply forked tail. The sexes are alike. Adults of the nominate subspecies have mostly black upperparts with a white collar and band on the rump. Their face and underparts are mostly white to off-white with mottled buff on the flanks and vent. Subspecies A. a. parvulus is smaller than the nominate and the borders between black and white areas are very sharply defined. A. a. peruvianus is also smaller than the nominate. Voice: The Andean swift's most common vocalization is "a buzzy, grating 'tzee-tz-tz-trrr...tzee-tz-tz-tzee...'." It also makes "a series of single notes 'tzree..tzree..tzree...'."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus)

White-tipped Swift

Aeronautes montivagus

Small20 gForest

The white-tipped swift is 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long and weighs 17 to 33 g (0.60 to 1.2 oz). It has slim pointed wings and a long slightly notched tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies are blackish brown on the crown and around the eye; most of the rest of the face is gray brown. Their upperparts are the same blackish brown as the crown. Their tail is black-brown with wide white tips to the feathers. Their wings are blackish brown with white edges on some feathers. Their throat, sides of the neck, and the upper breast are white. Voice: The white-tipped swift's flight calls has been described in many ways including a "distinctive, rachetlike, buzzing call, j-j-j-j-j-j 'j'j'j'j'J'J'J'J'j'j'j'j'j'j-j-j-j" and "a ringing, grating chatter: bzz-zz'zzz'zzz'zeee'tur'tur".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the White-tipped Swift
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, interaction call · Imbabura: 13 km N Salinas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dan Vickers · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Andean Swift and White-tipped Swift.