Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (Panyptila cayennensis)
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Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Panyptila cayennensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

21 gWeight

The lesser swallow-tailed swift or Cayenne swift (Panyptila cayennensis) is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae.

Busiest months: March and October · Most records: Belize, Panama, Costa Rica

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March and October · Most records: Belize, Panama, Costa Rica

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift has been recorded at 461 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Canopy TowerPanama1,298 records
  2. Rio Silanche Bird SanctuaryEcuador1,240 records
  3. Estación Biológica La Selva-OTSCosta Rica984 records
More places
  1. Cattle Landing – waterfrontBelize810 records
  2. Tranquilo Bay Eco-Adventure LodgePanama712 records
  3. Black Rock LodgeBelize697 records
  4. Chan Chich LodgeBelize577 records
  5. PN Tikal – sitio arqueológicoGuatemala477 records
  6. La Milpa Field StationBelize440 records
  7. Panama Rainforest Discovery CenterPanama420 records

Countries and regions with the most records

BelizePanamaCosta RicaEcuadorColombiaGuatemalaBrazilPeru

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 lesser swallow-tailed swift or Cayenne swift (Panyptila cayennensis) is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found from southern Mexico through Central America; in every mainland South America country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay; and on Trinidad.

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

Questions

How big is the Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift?

The Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift weighs around 21 g.

Where does the Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift live?

Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: Mexico to northern Bolivia and southeastern Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago. It is most often recorded in Belize, Panama and Costa Rica.

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

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

Is the Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift endangered?

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

What does the Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in?

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

At a glance

Weight
21 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
119 mm
Tail
52 mm
Bill
8 mm
Tarsus
8 mm

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

Range

Middle America, South America: Mexico to northern Bolivia and southeastern Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Panyptila

Other birds in the genus Panyptila

Great Swallow-tailed SwiftGreat Swallow-tailed SwiftPanyptila sanctihieronymiSpot-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
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

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

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