Neotropical palm swift

Neotropical palm swift
Fork-tailed palm-swift flying over Apiacás, Mato Grosso state, Brazil
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Apodidae
Genus:	Tachornis
Species:	T. squamata
Binomial name
Tachornis squamata (Cassin, 1853)

Fork-tailed palm-swift

The Neotropical palm swift or fork-tailed palm swift (Tachornis squamata) is a swift native to tropical South America (from Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas south to northeastern Peru and Brazil) and Trinidad in the Caribbean.

Habitat and breeding[]

This small bird 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.

Description[]

The 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.

Taxonomy[]

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

Diet[]

It 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.

References[]

• Swifts by Chantler and Driessens, ISBN 1-873403-83-6
• Hilty, Steven L (2003). Birds of Venezuela. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5.
• ffrench, Richard (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd ed.). Comstock Publishing. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2.

External links[]

• Fork-tailed palm swift photo gallery VIREO
• Photo-High Res; Article flickr.com