Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Lesser Swallow-tailed SwiftLesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift

Panyptila cayennensis

Silhouette: Aviceda (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Tortuguero National Park
120 Verified sightings at Tortuguero National Park From 2019 to 2026
4,723 Verified sightings across all 50 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Gray-rumped Swift
LC

Gray-rumped Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chaetura cinereiventris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
White-collared Swift
LC

White-collared Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptoprocne zonaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Chimney Swift
VU

Chimney Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chaetura pelagica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black Swift
VU

Black Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cypseloides niger

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Chestnut-collared Swift
LC

Chestnut-collared Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptoprocne rutila

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
LC

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazilia tzacatl

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Long-billed Hermit
LC

Long-billed Hermit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phaethornis longirostris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Stripe-throated Hermit
LC

Stripe-throated Hermit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phaethornis striigularis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Bronzy Hermit
LC

Bronzy Hermit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Glaucis aeneus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Violet-crowned Woodnymph
LC

Violet-crowned Woodnymph

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalurania colombica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Green-breasted Mango
LC

Green-breasted Mango

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthracothorax prevostii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
White-necked Jacobin
LC

White-necked Jacobin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Florisuga mellivora

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
2 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
3 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
4 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
5 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
6 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
8 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
~10%
9 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
10 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
11 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
12 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
13 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
14 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
15 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
16 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
17 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
18 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
19 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
20 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
21 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
22 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
23 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
24 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
25 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
26 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
27 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
28 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
29 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
30 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
31 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
32 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
34 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
35 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
36 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
37 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
38 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
39 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
40 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
41 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
42 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data
43 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
44 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
45 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
46 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
47 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
48 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
49 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
50 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in Tortuguero National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 120 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in Tortuguero National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.

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