Photo: Joseph Wolf / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Fork-tailed Palm Swift
Tachornis squamata
Fork-tailed Palm Swift (Tachornis squamata) — Swifts of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
See what's near you right nowThe Fork-tailed Palm Swift (Tachornis squamata) is a member of the Apodidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 11 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Tachornis
- Species squamata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift (Tachornis squamata) is a species of bird in the Apodidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia and e Brazil.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11 g, with a wing length of about 10.4 cm and a tail of around 6.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 9.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Fork-tailed Palm Swift?
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift is a very small bird that weighs around 11 g.
Where does the Fork-tailed Palm Swift live?
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia and e Brazil, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Fork-tailed Palm Swift belong to?
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift (Tachornis squamata) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Fork-tailed Palm Swift eat?
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Fork-tailed Palm Swift migrate?
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Fork-tailed Palm Swift endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Fork-tailed Palm Swift make?
1 real field recording of the Fork-tailed Palm Swift — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Fork-tailed Palm Swift's range?
The Fork-tailed Palm Swift has a mapped global range of about 9.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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