They have a narrow black patch around the eye and grayish brown cheeks, chin, and throat with some dull rufous feathers mixed in.

They have a wide rufous collar across the lower throat and upper breast that extends around to the nape.

Adult females have paler body plumage than males and have a much smaller rufous collar or none at all.

Some specimens attributed to S. r. griseifrons have been collected in Venezuela and much further south, though few taxonomists agree with those identifications.

[6] The chestnut-collared swift is a year-round resident throughout its range, though it apparently makes some local seasonal movements.

Some studies have shown a preference for flying ants and others for small beetles; their results may represent local or temporal availability.

It builds a nest of mud and plant material such as moss, liverwort, and fern on small ledge or niche of a rock wall in a damp shady location near water, such as in a cave, under a bridge, or in a culvert.