About Panyptila cayennensis (J.F.Gmelin, 1789)
The lesser swallow-tailed swift (scientific name Panyptila cayennensis (J.F.Gmelin, 1789)) is a slender bird species. It measures 12.7–13 cm (5.0–5.1 in) long and weighs about 18 g (0.63 oz). It has long narrow wings and a long forked tail, which is usually held tightly closed. Its plumage is mainly black, with a white throat and upper breast, and squarish white patches on the rear flanks. Males and females have similar appearance. This swift is distributed from Veracruz state in eastern Mexico, extending south through every country in Central America into Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It can also be found across the entire Amazon Basin, along a narrow strip on Brazil's southeastern coast, and on the island of Trinidad. It lives at the edges and clearings of lowland tropical evergreen forest and secondary forest, as well as in cultivated areas, river corridors, and human-populated areas. It can be found at elevations up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in Guatemala and Ecuador, though it typically occurs at lower elevations.
