Cypseloides senex
The Great Dusky Swift (Cypseloides senex) is a robust and enigmatic aerial insectivore of southeastern South America, renowned for its uniformly sooty black or dark brownish-gray plumage. This large swift, measuring 20-22 cm (8-8.7 in) in length with a wingspan of approximately 45-50 cm and weighing 90-120g, is distinguished by its deep, often subtly forked tail and broad, powerful wings. While generally dark, older birds may exhibit a distinct paler, grizzled forehead and crown, a key field ...
Found in moist evergreen forests and subtropical/tropical regions, typically in hilly or mountainous terrain, often near large rivers, cliffs, and especially waterfalls. Occupies elevations from sea level up to approximately 2,000 meters.
Feeds exclusively on aerial insects, primarily Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), and Isoptera (termites), all captured deftly in high-speed flight.
Great Dusky Swifts are highly active diurnal birds, often exhibiting crepuscular activity around their communal roosts at dawn and dusk. They are obligate aerial insectivores, foraging in swift, agile flight, often in large mixed-species flocks with other swifts, hawking insects over forest clear...
The Great Dusky Swift is primarily distributed across southeastern South America, exhibiting a largely resident or locally migratory pattern throughout its range. Its breeding territory spans extensive areas of Brazil, encompassing southern, southeastern, and central-western states such as Espíri...
Least Concern
- The Great Dusky Swift is one of the few bird species globally that consistently nests behind the thundering veils of large waterfalls, using the constant mist and unique microclimate. - Their nests are ingeniously constructed from moss and mud, cemented directly onto vertical rock faces in extr...