American needletail

Chaetura is a genus of needletail swifts found in the Americas in modern times. They resemble in general appearance and are commonly confused with swallows but they are not at all closely related to these (see also convergent evolution). The genus name is derived from the Greek khaite for long flowing hair and oura for tail, referring to the stiff feathers projecting from the end of the tail.


 * Band-rumped Swift, Chaetura spinicauda
 * Lesser Antillean Swift, Chaetura martinica
 * Gray-rumped Swift, Chaetura cinereiventris
 * Pale-rumped Swift, Chaetura egregia
 * Chimney Swift, Chaetura pelagica
 * Vaux's Swift, Chaetura vauxi
 * Chapman's Swift, Chaetura chapmani
 * Short-tailed Swift, Chaetura brachyura
 * Ashy-tailed Swift, Chaetura andrei
 * Sick's Swift, Chaetura meridionalis
 * Amazonian Swift, Chaetura viridipennis
 * Costa Rican Swift, Chaetura fumosa

A fossil species, Chaetura baconica, was described from Late Miocene deposits of Hungary.