>Tachornis phoenicobia (Antillean Palm Swift)

Antillean Palm Swift

 

Antillean Palm Swift
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Apodidae
Genus:	Tachornis
Species:	T. phoenicobia
Binomial name
Tachornis phoenicobia Gosse, 1847

The Antillean Palm Swift (Tachornis phoenicobia) is a small swift. It has distinctive black-and-white markings on its underparts, rump, and throat, making it one of the most unmistakable species of swifts in North America.

The Antillean Palm Swift's diet consists mainly of insects that it takes in from the air columns or from the surface of the water. These gregarious birds form small to medium-size flocks. They breed year-round in colonies around coastal areas in the dead fronds that hang from palms. While the nesting biology of this bird is poorly known, estimated incubation period by both sexes is 18 - 21 days. The altricial young are brooded by the female and stay in the nest for an estimated 20 - 28 days, being fed by both parents. They typically have 1 to 2 broods a year.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 190,000 km². It is fairly common in its native range in the Caribbean, from lowland Cuba to the Isle of Pines,Hispaniola, and Jamaica, though accidental vagrants have been observed as far north as the Florida Keys at least once.

>Tachornis squamata (Neotropical Palm Swift)

Neotropical Palm Swift

Neotropical Palm Swift
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Apodidae
Genus:	Tachornis
Species:	T. squamata
Binomial name
Tachornis squamata (Cassin, 1853)

The Neotropical Palm Swift or Fork-tailed Palm Swift, Tachornis squamata, is a resident breeding bird from Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas and Trinidad south to northeastern Peru and Brazil.

This small swift is found locally in marshy habitats, or sometimes open forest, usually near Moriche Palms. It builds a C-shaped nest of feathers, saliva and plant material on the inside of the dead leaf of a Moriche Palm. Three white eggs are laid in the depression of the C, and incubated for 21 days to hatching.

Neotropical Palm Swift is a slender, narrow-winged species, 13.2 cm long, with a long forked tail, and weighs 11 g. The call is a buzzed djjjjjj, like an insect. The nominate western form T. s. squamata has black-brown upperparts with a slight greenish gloss. The underparts are a paler brown with a white throat and central underbody. The eastern race T. s. semota of Trinidad, the Guianas and central and eastern Brazil is much darker, almost steel-black above and darker brown below. Juveniles are very similar, but have buff fringes to the upperparts and head in fresh plumage.

Despite its shape and association with palms, it is in a different genus to the Asian and African Palm Swifts.

Neotropical Palm Swift feeds in low flight on flying insects. It normally stays at less than 10 m above the ground. It normally occurs in small groups of up to 30 birds.

>Tachornis furcata (Pygmy Palm Swift)

Pygmy Palm Swift

 

Pygmy Palm Swift
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Apodidae
Genus:	Tachornis
Species:	T. furcata
Binomial name
Tachornis furcata (Sutton, 1928)

The Pygmy Palm Swift (Tachornis furcata), also known as the Pygmy Swift, is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.

>>Genus Tachornis

Tachornis

Tachornis
Neotropical Palm Swift (Tachornis squamata)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Apodidae
Genus:	Tachornis Gosse, 1847

Tachornis is a genus of swift in the Apodidae family. It contains the following species:

• Pygmy Palm Swift (Tachornis furcata)
• Neotropical Palm Swift (Tachornis squamata)
• Antillean Palm Swift (Tachornis phoenicobia)
• Tachornis uranoceles (fossil; Late Pleistocene of Puerto Rico)