Streptoprocne zonaris
Silhouette: Aviceda (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The white-collared swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) is a species of bird in the subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Mexico, Central America, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, and every mainland South American country.
The white-collared swift is the largest species of swift in its range except in northwestern Mexico, where it and the slightly larger white-naped swift (S. semicollaris) are sympatric. The white-collared swift is 20 to 21.5 cm (7.9 to 8.5 in) long and weighs 90 to 125 g (3.2 to 4.4 oz). It has a wingspan of 45 to 55 cm (18 to 22 in). It has a very slightly forked tail and the sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a white collar that circles the neck and is broadest on the breast. Their forehead is sooty, most of the head dark sooty black, the tail... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cali | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 5 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Cochabamba | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 8 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 9 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 10 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-collared Swift sighting in San José on a given day, based on 1,127 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 70th most-seen of the 379 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-collared Swift in San José on a given day, against under 5% in July and October–March, the lowest months. That is one of San José's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against 20 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-collared Swift sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 19 cities where we can rate White-collared Swift sightings, San José ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cali (Colombia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-collared Swift is recorded against all the birds logged in San José (1,127 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
