Chaetura
Genus of birds
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Taxonomy
The genus Chaetura was introduced in 1826 by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens who listed several species in the genus but did not specify a type. In 1829 the English zoologist William Swainson selected the type as Chaetura pelasgia Stevens (sic). This is a junior synonym of Hirundo pelagica Linnaeus the chimney swift. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek χαιτη/khaitē meaning "long flowing hair" with ουρα/oura meaning "tail".
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Species
The genus contains 11 species:
- Grey-rumped swift, Chaetura cinereiventris – widespread in South America
- Band-rumped swift, Chaetura spinicaudus – Panama to central Brazil
- Lesser Antillean swift, Chaetura martinica – Lesser Antilles
- Costa Rican swift, Chaetura fumosa – Costa Rica, Panama and north Colombia
- Pale-rumped swift, Chaetura egregia – west Amazonia
- Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica – breeds in central south, southeast Canada and central, east USA; winters west South America
- Vaux's swift, Chaetura vauxi – west Canada to north South America
- Chapman's swift, Chaetura chapmani – Panama to northeast Brazil and west Amazonia
- Ashy-tailed swift, Chaetura andrei – east Venezuela
- Sick's swift, Chaetura meridionalis – breeds south Brazil to east Bolivia, Paraguay and north Argentina; winters north South America and Panama
- Short-tailed swift, Chaetura brachyura – Panama through Amazonia
A fossil species, Chaetura baconica, was described from Late Miocene deposits of Hungary.
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Monotypic taxonTaxonomic group with only one subordinate taxonSpecies descriptionFormal description of a discovered speciesParaphylyType of taxonomic groupIUCN Red ListInventory of the global conservation status of biological speciesSubtropicsGeographic and climate zoneCommon nameName generally used for a taxon, group of taxa or organism(s)