Species:

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Swift (Apus apus)

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Length (cm):
125-145
16-17
Wingspan (cm):
105-155
42-48
Weight (gram):
3000-4100
31-56
Size group:
Bigger than a crow
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Unmistakable, except in areas where other Flamingo species occur. Differs from Lesser Flamingo by greater size, paler and less red plumage, pink (not deep red) bill, and more contrasting coverts. From Chilean Flamingo by less black on bill, and pink legs without contrasting joints. Immature birds first brown with white belly. Later dirty white with coverts tipped black.

Sound:

Nasal, di-syllabic, gooselike honking. Sometimes pure and high-pitched, other times deep and with peculiar, raspy, frog-like quality.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Stanislas Wroza, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

All black swift with small white throat patch. Very difficult to separate from Pallid swift and Plain Swift. Pallid Swift; brownish plumage tone (best seen against darker background), bigger throat-patch than swift, scale pattern on body more prominent, wing-tips slightly rounded, "saddle" darker than wings, and more contrast between darker outer primaries and inner. Plain Swift; throat patch smaller and more diffuse than swift, wings and body more slender, tail noticeably deeper forked.

Sound:

A shrilling trill "zreeeee" of about 1 -2 seconds length, gradually rising in pitch with accentuated firs half, then falling from the middle of phrase. Often continued with a dry lower pitched "trrrrrr" before calling again. Very vocal at breeding area, and often a flock will call together. Despite being quite similar to Pallid Swift, the call is probably the best field character to separate the two. Pallid puts the stress on the ending of the call, followed by a quick fall in pitch (dynamics like moaning with a quick release). Plain Swift calls similar to Common Swift, but differs in slightly fluctuating pitch during the call, and a loss of resonance towards the ending (thinner sounding).

Song/contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Heron-like
Silhouette
Swallow-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species