Great Swallow-tailed Swift (Panyptila sanctihieronymi)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Great Swallow-tailed Swift

Panyptila sanctihieronymi Salvin, 1863

48 gWeight

The great swallow-tailed swift (Panyptila sanctihieronymi) is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae.

Busiest months: January · Most records: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Great Swallow-tailed Swift has been recorded at 27 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Finca Rubel ChaimGuatemala261 records
  2. SFF Setonq – Los VencejosGuatemala90 records
  3. Calle al sur de El TizatilloHonduras45 records
More places
  1. Playa YelapaMexico44 records
  2. RNP Ranchitos del QuetzalGuatemala29 records
  3. Montaña de Izopo – Sector Las MorasHonduras28 records
  4. Zamorano Univ. – Campus Farms and River 740-815 maslHonduras18 records
  5. Zamorano Univ. – Res. Biol. UyucaHonduras14 records
  6. SFF SetonqGuatemala14 records
  7. RNP ChajbaocGuatemala14 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GuatemalaHondurasMexicoNicaragua

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The great swallow-tailed swift (Panyptila sanctihieronymi) is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Great Swallow-tailed Swift?

The Great Swallow-tailed Swift weighs around 48 g.

Where does the Great Swallow-tailed Swift live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: southwestern Mexico to Honduras. It is most often recorded in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Great Swallow-tailed Swift?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Great Swallow-tailed Swift endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Great Swallow-tailed Swift as Least Concern.

What does the Great Swallow-tailed Swift eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Great Swallow-tailed Swift in?

It belongs to the family Swifts (Apodidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Weight
48 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
184 mm
Tail
84 mm
Bill
11 mm
Tarsus
7 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America: southwestern Mexico to Honduras

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Panyptila

Other birds in the genus Panyptila

Lesser Swallow-tailed SwiftLesser Swallow-tailed SwiftPanyptila cayennensisSpot-fronted SwiftSpot-fronted SwiftCypseloides cherrieiWhite-chinned SwiftWhite-chinned SwiftCypseloides cryptusWhite-fronted SwiftWhite-fronted SwiftCypseloides storeriSooty SwiftSooty SwiftCypseloides fumigatusRothschild's SwiftRothschild's SwiftCypseloides rothschildiAmerican Black SwiftAmerican Black SwiftCypseloides nigerWhite-chested SwiftWhite-chested SwiftCypseloides lemosiGreat Dusky SwiftGreat Dusky SwiftCypseloides senexTepui SwiftTepui SwiftStreptoprocne phelpsi
Great Swallow-tailed Swift

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Antonio Robles. ↗

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