Andean Swift vs Choke

Aeronautes andecolus compared with Epichloe typhina

Key Differences

• Andean Swift is Least Concern while Choke is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Andean Swift	Choke
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Hypocreales (Hypocreales)
Family	Apodidae	Clavicipitaceae
Genus	Aeronautes	Epichloe
Species	Aeronautes andecolus	Epichloe typhina

Conservation Status

Andean Swift

LC — Least Concern

Choke

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Andean Swift	Choke
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Andean Swift

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

Choke

Habitat

Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in United States.

Andean Swift

The Andean Swift (Aeronautes andecolus) is a species in the genus Aeronautes. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Choke

Choke (Epichloe typhina) is an endophytic and pathogenic fungus in the family Clavicipitaceae, phylum Ascomycota, that colonises the tissues of various cool-season grasses (Poaceae) across Europe and North America. The name refers to the disease it causes — infected grass tillers are typically 'choked' (prevented from flowering) when the fungus produces a dense, white to cream-coloured, stromata (a compact fungal structure) that surrounds the flowering stem before it can emerge, suppressing seed production. Epichloe species exist along a mutualism-parasitism continuum; some strains are biotrophic endophytes living almost entirely within grass tissues without obvious symptoms and conferring benefits to the host such as increased drought resistance and deterrence of herbivores through alkaloid production, while others — including E. typhina — are more parasitic in nature, sterilising infected host tillers. The fungus spreads via airborne ascospores produced on its stroma that infect new host plants. Related Epichloe/Neotyphodium endophytes are of great practical importance to agriculture as they produce ergot alkaloids and other compounds that can cause toxicosis in livestock grazing infected pasture grasses. As a fungal pathogen/endophyte rather than a wildlife species, it is Not Evaluated by the IUCN.