White-collared Swift
| White-collared Swift | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Apodidae |
| Genus: | Streptoprocne |
| Species: | S. zonaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Streptoprocne zonaris (Shaw, 1796) | |
The White-collared Swift, Streptoprocne zonaris, is a resident breeding bird from central Mexico, the Greater Antilles and Trinidad south to Peru, northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil.
This very large swift builds a saucer nest of mud, moss and chitin on a ledge in a cave, usually behind a waterfall, and lays two white eggs between March and July. It breeds in the mountains and foothills, but forages over a much larger area, including lowlands.
White-collared Swift is a massive and powerful species, 20-22 cm (8-8.8 in) long, and weighing 90-125 g (3.2-4.5 oz.) It has a very slightly forked tail, which often appears square. The adults are black, glossed blue on the back, and have a white collar, broader and duller on the breast than the hindneck. Young birds are duller than adults, and the collar is reduced or absent. This noisy swift has a screeching chee-yar! call, which may be given in chorus by a flock
This is a highly gregarious species, with flocks of 100 or more birds, and often in company with other swift species. It has a powerful, fast and direct flight, and will ascend thermals to great heights.
White-collared Swift feeds in flight on flying insects, including beetles, bees and flying ants.
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