Tepui Swift
The Phelpssegler ( Streptoprocne phelpsi, Syn: Cypseloides phelpsi ) is a species of bird in the family of sailors ( Apodidae ). The plumage is predominantly sooty black; with its distinctive red collar he is next to its sister, the Rothalssegler, the only sailor with some color in the plumage. The Phelpssegler occurs in northern South America, mainly in Venezuela. In contrast to Rothalssegler the species is poorly understood. The name of the species honors William Henry Phelps, an American ornithologist and businessman.
Features
The body length is 16.5 inches. For the wing length in the male values from 133.0 to 140.5 millimeters were detected while females it was 129.5 to 138.0 millimeters. The weight is 19 to 23 grams.
The plumage is predominantly sooty black. Characteristic of the type is the coloring of the head and neck: With the exception of the sooty area between forehead and crown and an existing in some individuals powdery white supraorbital Streifs the head is colored bright orange. This coloration extends over the entire throat and upper chest area and continues in the neck, there is a reddish tint at the narrowest and gives the impression of a red neck bands. The rest of the plumage is quite uniform sooty black, the underside is slightly lighter than the top.
The plumage coloration of females is similar to that of the males very, the red color of the throat is paler and formed later than in the males out. In young birds the collar is completely absent, the feathers of the underside of the throat to the under tail-coverts show a clear pale gray hem, what the underside of the young birds is a scale- like appearance.
The tail has a small, but usually clearly recognized bifurcation. This is also a good differentiator for quite similar Rothalssegler, which shows a significantly lower tail fork. Furthermore, the Phelpssegler is significantly greater than the Rothalssegler, the orange color of the head and neck is brighter and somewhat expands more via the throat and the ear covers.
About the vocalizations of Phelpsseglers nothing is known.
Dissemination and hikes
The species is restricted to the inland region in the north of South America, mainly the Phelpssegler occurs in Venezuela. There is in him 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 type also occurs in the Merume Mountains in the northeast of the Brazilian state of Roraima. There is also a sighting in the north of Venezuela, in Aragua, this is so far the only sighting within the distribution range of very similar Rothalsseglers.
Habitat
As a main habitats of Phelpsseglers evergreen mountain forests and in the lowland of Tropical rainforest and seasonal wet grassland apply. Breeds have been detected in a height range between 400 and 1400 meters, the type specimen was taken at an altitude of 1100 meters.
Behavior and food acquisition
Little is known of this type, but it is believed that the life of Phelpsseglers of the other species of the subfamily Cypseloidinae similar. The Phelpssegler was often observed in mixed flocks, together with the necklace sailors.
Reproduction
It is believed that the breeding season is in the late spring and early summer. A nest was described, this was attached to the vertical wall of a small cave 1.5 meters above the ground, near a small water stream between rocks. It had the shape of a truncated cone and consisting of moss.
Inventory and risk
In the Venezuelan state of Amazonas in the area around the Cerro Tamacuari the Phelpssegler is to meet regularly. BirdLife International estimates the size of the range to approximately 256,000 square kilometers, the species is classified as unthreatened.
System
The very similar Rothalssegler considered to be the sister species of Phelpsseglers, both of which are viewed as a super species. Previously, both of which were attributed to the genus Cypseloides. The Rothalssegler but is now allocated on the basis of plumage characteristics and breeding biology of the genus Streptoprocne. The little explored compared Phelpssegler was then consequently also attributed to this genus. For the Phelpssegler no subspecies are distinguished.