Tachornis phoenicobia
The Antillean Palm Swift (Tachornis phoenicobia) is a diminutive and highly agile aerial insectivore, endemic to the Caribbean. Measuring a mere 10-11 cm (4 inches) in length with a wingspan of approximately 20-25 cm, it is one of the smallest swifts in its range, often weighing only 10-15 grams. Its plumage is predominantly sooty brown to black, strikingly contrasted by a bright white rump and white on the flanks and vent, making these field marks crucial for identification as it darts throu...
Primarily found in open country, coastal areas, and urban environments where palm trees are abundant, typically at low to mid-elevations.
Feeds exclusively on small flying insects (e.g., dipterans, hymenopterans, beetles), which are hawked with precision directly from the air.
Antillean Palm Swifts are intensely social birds, spending almost their entire day in continuous, energetic flight, often in large, twittering flocks. They are diurnal, returning at dusk to communal roosts, frequently deep within the drooping fronds of palm trees. Foraging involves ceaseless aeri...
The Antillean Palm Swift is resident throughout the Greater Antilles, including Cuba, the Isle of Pines (Isla de la Juventud), Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and the Cayman Islands. Its distribution is closely tied to the presence of abundant palm trees, which ar...
Least Concern
- The Antillean Palm Swift rarely, if ever, lands on the ground or perches on branches; its specialized feet are adapted for clinging to vertical surfaces like palm fronds or rock faces. - It builds its unique cup-shaped nest almost exclusively within the dead, drooping fronds of palm trees, ceme...