Tepui Swift

About the Tepui Swift

The tepui swift (Streptoprocne phelpsi) is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. What is now the tepui swift was first collected in the 19th century but was not recognized as a separate species until 1972. It was originally assigned to genus Cypseloides but by the 2000s was reassigned to Streptoprocne. It and the chestnut-collared swift (C. rutila) form a superspecies. Its specific epithet honors William H. Phelps Jr.

The tepui swift is monotypic. The tepui swift is one of the smaller members of genus Streptoprocne. It is 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) long and weighs about 20 to 24 g (0.71 to 0.85 oz). It has a long deeply notched tail and long broad wings. Adult males' most obvious feature is the wide orange-chestnut collar that encircles the neck and includes the upper breast, chin, throat, and most of the face. The rest of its plumage is sooty black, at times with a few white feathers on the breast below the collar. Adult females are similar to males though some have a paler breast with brown mixed in. Immatures resemble adults with the addition of pale... Wikipedia →