Phelps sailor

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Phelps sailor
Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Sailor birds (Apodiformes)
Family : Sailors (Apodidae)
Genre : Streptoprocne
Type : Phelps sailor
Scientific name
Streptoprocne phelpsi
( Collins , 1972)

The Phelpssegler ( Streptoprocne phelpsi , Syn . : Cypseloides phelpsi ) is a species of bird from the family of the sailors (Apodidae). The plumage is predominantly soot-black; With its eye-catching red collar, it is the only sailor with some color in its plumage, alongside its sister species , the red-necked swift . The phelps sailor occurs in northern South America, mainly in Venezuela . In contrast to the red-necked swift, the species has not been well researched. The name of the species honors William Henry Phelps , an American ornithologist and businessman .

features

The body length is 16.5 centimeters. For the wing length values ​​between 133.0 and 140.5 millimeters were determined in the male, and between 129.5 and 138.0 millimeters in the female. The weight is between 19 and 23 grams.

The plumage is predominantly soot-black. The color of the head and neck is characteristic of the species: with the exception of the soot-black area between the forehead and vertex and a fine, white stripe over the eyes in some individuals , the head is bright orange-red. This color extends over the entire throat and also the upper chest area and continues in the neck, where the reddish color is narrowest and gives the impression of a red collar. The rest of the plumage is quite uniformly soot black, the underside is slightly lighter than the upper side.

The plumage of the females is very similar to that of the males, the red color of the throat is somewhat paler and develops later than that of the males. In juveniles the collar is completely absent, the feathers on the underside from the throat to the under tail-coverts show a distinct pale gray border, which gives the underside of the juveniles a scale-like appearance.

The tail has a small, but mostly clearly recognizable fork. This is also a good distinguishing feature from the very similar red-necked swift , which shows a significantly smaller tail fork. Furthermore, the Phelpssegler is significantly larger than the Red-necked Swift, the orange color on the head and neck is more luminous and extends a little more over the throat and also the ear covers.

Nothing is known about the vocalizations of the Phelps sailor.

Spreading and migrations

The species is restricted to the interior of the north of South America, mainly the phelps sailor occurs in Venezuela . There it is in the Yapacana National Park , in the Sierra Parima , in the state of Amazonas and in some parts of the Gran Sabana . In the northwest of Guyana , the species occurs in the Merume Mountains , and in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Roraima . There is also a sighting in the north of Venezuela, in Aragua , this is the only sighting so far within the range of the very similar red-necked swift .

In the Pantepui area, the species is regarded as a resident bird , but the sighting in Aragua suggests that at least occasional migrations occur.

habitat

The main habitats of the Phelp's sailor are evergreen mountain forests and, in the lowlands, the tropical rainforest and seasonally humid grasslands. Broods have so far been found in an altitude range between 400 and 1400 meters, the type specimen was picked up at an altitude of 1100 meters.

Behavior and food acquisition

Little is known about this species, but it is believed that the Phelpssegler's way of life is similar to that of the other species of the subfamily Cypseloidinae. The phelps sailor was often observed in mixed flocks with the collar swift.

Reproduction

It is believed that the breeding season is in late spring and early summer. A nest has been described; it was attached to the vertical wall of a small cave 1.5 meters above the ground, near a small watercourse between boulders. It was shaped like a truncated cone and made of moss.

Existence and endangerment

In the Venezuelan state of Amazonas in the area around the Cerro Tamacuari the phelps sailor can be found regularly. BirdLife International estimates the size of the range to be approximately 256,000 square kilometers, the species is classified as harmless.

Systematics

The very similar Red-necked Swift is considered to be the sister species of the Phelpssegler, both are considered to be superspecies . In the past, both were assigned to the genus Cypseloides . The red-necked swift is now classified as part of the genus Streptoprocne due to its plumage characteristics and the breeding biology . The phelps sailor, which has not been well researched in comparison, was then also assigned to this genus. For the Phelpssegler no subspecies are distinguished.

swell

literature

  • Phil Chantler, Gerald Driessens: A Guide to the Swifts and Tree Swifts of the World . Pica Press, Mountfield 2000; ISBN 1-873403-83-6
  • Joseph del Hoyo, Andrew Elliot and Jordi Sargatal (Eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions, 1999, ISBN 84-87334-25-3 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ BirdLife International: Species Factsheet - Tepui Swift ( Streptoprocne phelpsi ) . Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  2. ↑ MA Marín and FG Stiles: On the biology of five species of swifts (Apodidae, Cypseloidinae) in Costa Rica. In: Proceedings of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. 5: 286-351, 1992
  3. ↑ Chantler, Driessens: A Guide to the Swifts and Tree Swifts of the World. Page 21, see literature

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