Sick's Swift
Chaetura meridionalis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyApodidae (Swifts)
- GenusChaetura (Chaetura Swifts)
- SpeciesChaetura meridionalis (Sick's Swift)
Sick's swift (Chaetura meridionalis) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It was previously considered conspecific with the smaller ashy-tailed swift, but a study published in 1997 found that Sick's swift was closer to the chimney swift. The English name commemorates the German-born ornithologist Helmut Sick who studied South American birds. It is a migratory species that breeds in central South America and overwinters in northern South America. The IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern". Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Sick's Swift sighting in Iguaçu National Park, based on 339 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Iguaçu National Park
Gray-rumped Swift
Chaetura cinereiventris
Great Dusky Swift
Cypseloides senex
White-collared Swift
Streptoprocne zonaris
Sooty Swift
Cypseloides fumigatus
Biscutate Swift
Streptoprocne biscutata
Violet-capped Woodnymph
Thalurania glaucopis
Scale-throated Hermit
Phaethornis eurynome
Versicolored Emerald
Chrysuronia versicolor
Gilded Hummingbird
Hylocharis chrysura
Glittering-bellied Emerald
Chlorostilbon lucidus
Planalto Hermit
Phaethornis pretrei
Black-throated Mango
Anthracothorax nigricollis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 9 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 11 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 12 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 13 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sick's Swift in Iguaçu National Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Sick's Swift sighting in Iguaçu National Park, based on 339 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sick's Swift in Iguaçu National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Sick's Swift in Iguaçu National Park in our monthly data.