Fork-tailed palm swift facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fork-tailed palm swift |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Fork-tailed palm-swift flying over Apiacás, Mato Grosso state, Brazil | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Tachornis
|
| Species: |
squamata
|
 |
|
The fork-tailed palm swift (Tachornis squamata) is a small, fast-flying bird. It belongs to the swift family, known for their amazing flight. You can find this bird in many parts of northern South America and also on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. It gets its name from its deeply forked tail and its love for palm trees.
Contents
About the Fork-tailed Palm Swift
What Kind of Bird Is It?
The fork-tailed palm swift is a type of swift. Scientists group living things into categories. This bird is in the Tachornis group. There are two slightly different kinds, called subspecies: T. s. squamata and T. s. semota.
How to Spot a Fork-tailed Palm Swift
This swift is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. That's about the length of a pen. It weighs between 9 to 13.6 g (0.32 to 0.48 oz), which is very light. It has long, thin wings and a tail that splits deeply, like a fork. Both male and female birds look alike.
Adults of the T. s. squamata type have dark brownish-black feathers on their backs. These feathers have a slight green shine and light gray edges. Their cheeks are grayish-brown. Their throat is a very pale brownish-white with some darker spots. The rest of their underside is pale with light brown spots.
The T. s. semota type is a bit darker overall. Its upper parts are blacker with less gray on the feather edges. Its underside feathers are darker too.
Where Do They Live?
The T. s. squamata subspecies lives in the Amazon Basin. This includes northern Bolivia, eastern Peru, and eastern Ecuador. It also lives in eastern Colombia, northwestern Brazil, and southern and eastern Venezuela.
The T. s. semota subspecies is found on Trinidad, Tobago, and in the Guianas. It also lives in north-central, northeastern, and eastern Brazil.
These swifts live in places with lots of palm trees. They especially like moriche palms. You can find them in wet grasslands, palm swamps, and even in cities. They prefer lower areas, usually below 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in height.
Life and Habits
Always on the Move
The fork-tailed palm swift stays in the same area all year long. It does not migrate to other places.
What Do They Eat?
Like all swifts, these birds catch insects while flying. They are called "aerial insectivores." They often hunt in small groups of up to 10 birds. They eat many different kinds of insects. One study found they mostly ate ants and termites in that area. This shows their diet might change depending on the place or season.
Reproduction and Nesting
The breeding season for these swifts changes depending on where they live. For example, on Trinidad, they breed from April to June. In central Brazil, it's from September to November.
They build their nests only in palm trees. They often choose Mauritia flexuosa palms. The nest is a messy, long clump of feathers. It's held together with their saliva. The nest hangs from a dead palm leaf and has an opening at the bottom. These swifts collect feathers by pulling them from other birds while flying. They often take feathers from pigeons and parrots.
A female swift usually lays three eggs. The eggs hatch after about 21 days.
How They Sound
The calls of the fork-tailed palm swift sound like a trilling trrrrreeeee. Some describe it as a buzzy d-z-z-z-z-z. Others say it's a thin buzz, bzzzzzzz bzz bzzzzzz.
Conservation Status
Are They Safe?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the fork-tailed palm swift is a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. They live across a very large area. Even though we don't know their exact numbers, their population seems to be stable. There are no big threats to them right now. These swifts can even live near people. Planting decorative palm trees can give them more places to nest.
