Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Catalan | falciot de les palmeres gros |
| Czech | rorýs vidloocasý |
| Dutch | Braziliaanse Palmgierzwaluw |
| English | Fork-tailed Palm Swift |
| English (United States) | Fork-tailed Palm Swift |
| French | Martinet claudia |
| French (France) | Martinet claudia |
| German | Gabelschwanzsegler |
| Japanese | オナガヤシアマツバメ |
| Norwegian | moricheseiler |
| Polish | widłogończyk łuskowany |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | andorinhão-do-buriti |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Andorinhão-tesourinha |
| Russian | Вилохвостый стрижик |
| Serbian | Račvorepa palmina čiopa |
| Slovak | dážďovník nožnicochvostý |
| Spanish | Vencejillo Tijereta |
| Spanish (Argentina) | Vencejo Tijereta |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Vencejo de Morete |
| Spanish (Peru) | Vencejo Tijereta de Palmeras |
| Spanish (Spain) | Vencejillo tijereta |
| Spanish (Venezuela) | Vencejo Tijereta |
| Swedish | gaffelstjärtad palmseglare |
| Turkish | Amerika Palmiye Ebabili |
| Ukrainian | Серпокрилець-крихітка неотропічний |
Fork-tailed Palm-Swift Tachornis squamata
Version: 1.0 — Published March 6, 2015
Systematics
Geographic Variation
Two subspecies currently recognized (Dickinson and Remsen 2013):
semota, described as Reinarda squamata semota Riley 1933; type locality El Mango, Brazo Casiquiare, [Amazonas] Venezuela
Occurs from western Amazonia east to Venezuela and central Brazil.
Similar to nominate squamata, but the plumage is darker, the upperparts blacker and the feathers with reduced pale fringes; the feathers of the throat and center of the breast only fringed with white; and the undertail coverts shining greenish black with only very narrow white fringes (Riley 1933).
squamata, described as Cypselus squamatus Cassin 1853; type locality British Guiana
Occurs on Trinidad, and from the Guianas and northeastern Brazil to eastern Brazil.
See Detailed Description.
Subspecies
Related Species
The type species of Tachornis is phoenicobia (Antillean Palm-Swift); formerly squamata often was classified in a separate monotypic genus, Reinarda (e.g. Peters 1940).
Phylogenetic relationships within swifts (Apodidae) are not fully resolved. Traditionally two subfamilies are recognized, Cypseloidinae (Cypseloides and Streptoprocne) and Apodinae, with the latter in turn divided into three tribes (Chantler 2000). Tachornis is classified in the tribe Apodini, which includes taxa both from the New World (Aeronautes, Tachornis, and Panyptila) and from the Old World (Apus and Cypsiurus).
