Streptoprocne phelpsi
The Tepui Swift, *Streptoprocne phelpsi*, is a striking, medium-sized swift endemic to the isolated tepui mountain ranges of South America. Measuring approximately 16.5-18 cm in length, this species is characterized by its uniformly sooty black or dark brown plumage, often exhibiting a subtle gloss, and lacking the prominent white collar found in many of its close relatives. Its powerful, crescent-shaped wings and a relatively short, slightly forked tail are typical of aerial insectivores, al...
Restricted to the high-altitude tepui tabletop mountains, it inhabits montane cloud forests, humid evergreen forests, and open cliffs, typically found between 1,200 and 2,500 meters.
Exclusively an aerial insectivore, feeding primarily on a variety of flying insects including beetles, flies, ants, bees, and wasps, captured on the wing.
Highly aerial, the Tepui Swift spends the vast majority of its life in flight, rarely alighting on anything other than vertical surfaces for roosting or nesting. These birds are colonial nesters, forming large aggregations in deep caves or sheltered rock faces on the sheer cliffs of the tepuis. F...
The Tepui Swift is endemic to the Guiana Highlands, with its range strictly confined to the isolated tepui mountain formations. Its primary distribution includes southern Venezuela, specifically the Amazonas and Bolívar states, extending eastward into western Guyana, and south into the extreme no...
Least Concern
- The Tepui Swift is named after William H. Phelps Sr., a pioneering Venezuelan ornithologist, honoring his contributions to the study of Neotropical birds. - It is one of the few bird species considered truly endemic to the unique, isolated tepui tabletop mountains of the Guiana Highlands. - Unl...