Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Panyptila cayennensis
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- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyApodidae (Swifts)
- GenusPanyptila (Swallow-tailed Swifts)
- SpeciesPanyptila cayennensis (Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift)
About the Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
The lesser swallow-tailed swift or Cayenne swift (Panyptila cayennensis) is a species of bird in subfamily Apodinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found from southern Mexico through Central America; in every mainland South America country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay; and on Trinidad.
The lesser swallow-tailed swift was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the swallows and swifts in the genus Hirundo and coined the binomial name Hirundo cayennensis. Gmelin based his description on the "Martinet à collier blanc" that had been described in 1779 by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon from a specimen collected in Cayenne, French Guiana. A hand-colored illustration of the bird was also published. The lesser swallow-tailed swift is now placed with the great swallow-tailed swift in the genus Panyptila that was introduced in 1847 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek panu meaning "very" or "exceedingly" with ptilon meaning "wing". The specific... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in Serra dos Órgãos National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Gray-rumped Swift
Chaetura cinereiventris
White-collared Swift
Streptoprocne zonaris
Sick's Swift
Chaetura meridionalis
Biscutate Swift
Streptoprocne biscutata
Sooty Swift
Cypseloides fumigatus
Violet-capped Woodnymph
Thalurania glaucopis
Sombre Hummingbird
Eupetomena cirrochloris
Saw-billed Hermit
Ramphodon naevius
Swallow-tailed Hummingbird
Eupetomena macroura
Black Jacobin
Florisuga fusca
Rufous-breasted Hermit
Glaucis hirsutus
Scale-throated Hermit
Phaethornis eurynome
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in Serra dos Órgãos National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift sighting in Serra dos Órgãos National Park, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in Serra dos Órgãos National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in Serra dos Órgãos National Park in our monthly data.