From Opus

Photo by Jamfaraco
Itapirub/Imbituba-SC, Brasil, October 2005

Streptoprocne biscutata

[edit] Identification

22cm

• Black-brown plumage
• White nape and white upper-breast patches
• Fore-face paler, sometimes throat paler too
• Long, broad wings
• Square tail
• Sturdy body

[edit] Similar Species

A large Swift, similar to White-collared Swift and White-naped Swift.

[edit] Distribution

Found in South America. From North-eastern to South-eastern Brazil, also recorded in Paraguay and Northern Argentina.
Common and not globally threatened.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

Two subspecies recognized:

• S.b. biscutata in South-eastern Brazil (Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay and Northern Argentina
• S.b. seridoensis Serido in North-eastern Brazil

[edit] Habitat

Usually over lowland evergreen forest, also montane evergreen forest, temperate forest and scrub.

[edit] Behaviour

The movements of this species are not yet fully understood and it may be a transequatorial migrant. Wintering grounds of nominate subspecies not known.

[edit] Diet

Feeds on insects, taken in flight. Like other Swifts highly gregarious and often in big flocks around waterfalls. Does not often associate with White-collared Swift.

[edit] Breeding

Breeds from October to December, nesting in dry caverns. Nest is a bowl-shaped disc made of lichens, mosses and leaves.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

• List of references

[edit] External Links