Photo: Andres Cuervo / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spot-fronted Swift
Cypseloides cherriei
Spot-fronted Swift (Cypseloides cherriei) — Swifts of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spot-fronted Swift (Cypseloides cherriei) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 22.1 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 cherriei
Where it lives
Costa Rica to northern Venezuela and northern Ecuador
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spot-fronted 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 Spot-fronted Swift is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spot-fronted Swift (Cypseloides cherriei) belongs to the Apodidae family of the order Apodiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to n Venezuela and n Ecuador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.1 g, with a wing length of about 12.5 cm and a tail of around 4.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 111,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spot-fronted Swift?
The Spot-fronted Swift is a small bird that weighs around 22.1 g.
Where does the Spot-fronted Swift live?
The Spot-fronted Swift is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to n Venezuela and n Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spot-fronted Swift belong to?
The Spot-fronted Swift (Cypseloides cherriei) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Spot-fronted Swift eat?
The Spot-fronted Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spot-fronted Swift migrate?
The Spot-fronted Swift is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spot-fronted 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 Spot-fronted Swift make?
1 real field recording of the Spot-fronted 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 Spot-fronted Swift's range?
The Spot-fronted Swift has a mapped global range of about 111,000 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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