This poorly known species has been probably overlooked in Ecuador. The spots on the head are very difficult to see in the field, but on the photos they are visible! The call of this species is rather distinct, and birders are getting more familiar with it. The shape is also different from Chestnut-collared Swifts, bulkier and shorter tailed. Records are increasing in Ecuador and it is probably not that rare in the subtropics on the west-slope.