Cypseloides fumigatus
The Sooty Swift (Cypseloides fumigatus) is a medium-sized, enigmatic aerial insectivore primarily found in southeastern South America, renowned for its uniformly dark plumage and elusive nature. Measuring approximately 15-16 cm (6-6.3 inches) in length with a wingspan estimated around 38 cm (15 inches) and weighing 30-40 g (1.1-1.4 oz), its appearance is characterized by a sleek, sooty-brown body, often appearing almost black in flight, with slightly paler underparts and a subtly glossy sheen...
This swift primarily inhabits humid montane and subtropical forests, frequently associated with mountainous terrain and the presence of waterfalls. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of 2,000 meters, preferring rugged landscapes.
Sooty Swifts are obligate aerial insectivores, feeding exclusively on a wide variety of flying insects caught during continuous flight. Their diet includes beetles, flies, ants, bees, wasps, and other arthropods.
Sooty Swifts are intensely aerial, spending most of their daylight hours in continuous flight, foraging high above the canopy or over open clearings. They are diurnal but often exhibit crepuscular activity, with increased foraging at dawn and dusk. Roosting typically occurs on vertical cliff face...
The Sooty Swift's primary distribution encompasses southeastern South America, primarily within southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina. Its core breeding range is centered in the Atlantic Forest biome of these countries, particularly in regions with suitable mountainous...
Least Concern
- The Sooty Swift spends an astonishing amount of its life in the air, only landing to breed and roost. - These swifts are masters of waterfall architecture, building their cup-shaped nests almost exclusively behind or directly within the misty spray of waterfalls, providing natural protection. -...