Tepui swift facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tepui swift |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Streptoprocne
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| Species: |
phelpsi
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| Synonyms | |
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Cypseloides phelpsi Collins, 1972 |
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The Tepui Swift (Streptoprocne phelpsi) is a special type of bird. It belongs to the swift family, known for their fast flying. You can find this bird in parts of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.
Contents
Discovering the Tepui Swift
Scientists first found the Tepui Swift a long time ago, in the 1800s. But they didn't realize it was a unique species until 1972. It was first placed in one bird group, but later moved to the Streptoprocne group.
This bird is named after William H. Phelps Jr., who was an important person in bird studies. The Tepui Swift is also "monotypic." This means it's the only species in its specific group.
What Does the Tepui Swift Look Like?
The Tepui Swift is one of the smaller swifts in its group. It is about 14 to 16 centimeters (5.5 to 6.3 inches) long. It weighs around 20 to 24 grams (0.7 to 0.8 ounces).
This swift has a long tail with a deep notch. Its wings are long and wide, perfect for flying. Adult males have a bright orange-chestnut collar. This collar goes all around their neck and covers their upper chest, chin, throat, and most of their face.
The rest of their feathers are a dark, sooty black. Sometimes, they might have a few white feathers on their chest below the collar. Adult females look very similar to males. However, some females might have a lighter chest with some brown mixed in. Young swifts look like the adults. They have pale gray edges on the feathers of their underparts.
Where the Tepui Swift Lives
The Tepui Swift lives in a special area called the tepui region. This is where southeastern Venezuela, western Guyana, and northwestern Brazil meet. Tepuis are like flat-topped mountains.
One Tepui Swift was seen far north in Venezuela. Scientists are not sure if it just visited or if it was migrating. These birds like humid mountain and lowland forests. They also live in mountain grasslands and near cliffs. You can usually find them at elevations between 200 and 2,200 meters (660 and 7,200 feet). Sometimes, they fly as high as 2,630 meters (8,630 feet).
Tepui Swift Behavior
How They Move
Scientists believe the Tepui Swift stays in its home area all year round. However, some sightings in other places suggest they might migrate sometimes.
What They Eat
Like all swifts, the Tepui Swift eats insects while flying. They catch bugs right out of the air! We don't know much about their exact diet. They often fly and eat in groups of 10 to 20 or more birds. Sometimes, they even join groups of white-collared swifts.
Reproduction and Nests
We don't know a lot about how Tepui Swifts raise their young. They seem to nest mostly in the late spring and early summer in the northern part of the world. One nest with a nearly grown baby bird was seen in early September.
Not many nests have been found. The ones discovered were on cliffs and in rocky caves. The nest found in September was a cup made of rootlets and moss. It was built on a rock shelf inside a cave. Some people think these swifts might nest in groups or colonies.
Their Calls
The Tepui Swift seems to have two different calls they make while flying. One call sounds like "a squeak followed by a trill and short squeals, squeek, titititititititi sui, squi, squi..." The other call is "a slow series of reedy or hissing tic notes."
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the Tepui Swift as a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. However, we don't know how many Tepui Swifts there are, and their numbers are thought to be going down.
No immediate threats to the bird have been found. It is considered uncommon to fairly common in its habitat. For now, human activities probably don't affect the Tepui Swift much. But in the long term, cutting down forests could become a problem for them.
