White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus) | Photos, Calls and ID

LCLeast ConcernInvertebrates

ForestCavity nestSmall · 20 g

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 1 — Photo: Dan Vickers · CC BY 4.0

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 2 — Photo: Tomás Carranza Perales · CC BY 4.0

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 3 — Photo: Tomás Carranza Perales · CC BY 4.0

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 4 — Photo: Hugo Bernal Hernández · CC BY 4.0

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 5 — Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 6 — Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 7 — Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

White-tipped Swift (Aeronautes montivagus), photo 8 — Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

What the White-tipped Swift sounds like

Sonogram of the White-tipped Swift: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, interaction call · Imbabura: 13 km N Salinas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, calls group · Imbabura: 13 km N Salinas, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz @rosaelena_naturaleza · Flight call, wings · San Antonio De Los Altos (near Parroquia Macarao), Municipio Los Salias, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

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".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the White-tipped Swift

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the White-tipped Swift

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 8 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Colombia Venezuela Peru Ecuador Bolivia Argentina Guyana French Guiana

Recorded as a rare visitor in Brazil.

About the White-tipped Swift

The white-tipped swift is a species of bird in the subfamily Apodinae of the family Apodidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and possibly Guyana.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Andean SwiftAeronautes andecolusThe Andean swift is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long.

White-throated SwiftAeronautes saxatalisThe white-throated swift is medium-sized bird that is primarily black and white.

Side by side: White-throated Swift vs White-tipped Swift · Andean Swift vs White-tipped Swift

Learn the White-tipped Swift in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.