Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sooty Swift
Cypseloides fumigatus
Sooty Swift (Cypseloides fumigatus) — Swifts of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sooty Swift (Cypseloides fumigatus) is a member of the Apodidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 42 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 Cypseloides
- Species fumigatus
Where it lives
Eastern Bolivia, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina and southeastern Brazil
Quick facts
- Weight
- 42 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sooty Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Sooty Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Sooty Swift (Cypseloides fumigatus) is a species of bird in the Apodidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA e Bolivia, e Paraguay, ne Argentina and se Brazil.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 42 g, with a wing length of about 14.5 cm and a tail of around 4.4 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 2.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sooty Swift?
The Sooty Swift is a small bird that weighs around 42 g.
Where does the Sooty Swift live?
The Sooty Swift is found across South America with a range covering SA e Bolivia, e Paraguay, ne Argentina and se Brazil, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Sooty Swift belong to?
The Sooty Swift (Cypseloides fumigatus) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Sooty Swift eat?
The Sooty Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Sooty Swift migrate?
The Sooty Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Sooty 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 Sooty Swift make?
1 real field recording of the Sooty 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 Sooty Swift's range?
The Sooty Swift has a mapped global range of about 2.3 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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