Chaetura andrei
The Ashy-tailed Swift, *Chaetura andrei*, is a small, enigmatic aerial insectivore belonging to the family Apodidae, sharing its order Apodiformes with hummingbirds. This swift is predominantly sooty-black, measuring approximately 11-13 cm in length with a wingspan of around 28-30 cm, and weighing 15-20 grams. Its most distinctive field mark, providing its common name, is a contrasting pale ashy-gray rump and upper tail coverts, setting it apart from other dark Neotropical swifts. The tail it...
Primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical humid evergreen forests, particularly montane and lowland rainforests, and mature woodlands. Often found near forest edges, clearings, and over rivers, from sea level up to elevations of approximately 1,500 meters.
Feeds exclusively on a wide variety of aerial insects, including flies, beetles, ants, termites, and wasps, captured on the wing during its swift, acrobatic flights.
The Ashy-tailed Swift is a highly aerial and diurnal bird, spending most of its active hours in continuous, rapid flight. It forages opportunistically in the air, often in small, loose flocks or mixed-species swift aggregations, exhibiting an erratic, almost bat-like flight pattern as it pursues ...
The Ashy-tailed Swift is a resident species found primarily in eastern South America. Its main distribution spans southeastern Brazil, particularly within the Atlantic Forest biome, extending north into some Amazonian regions. Records also confirm its presence in eastern Paraguay and northeastern...
Data Deficient
- The Ashy-tailed Swift is often considered a taxonomic puzzle, with some ornithologists classifying it as a distinct species and others as a subspecies of the Grey-rumped Swift (*Chaetura cinereiventris*). - Like all *Chaetura* swifts, its tail feathers have stiff, projecting spines at the tips,...