Little Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus affinis مقارنةً بـ Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| السمة | Little Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| الاسم العلمي | Apus affinis | Cypsiurus parvus |
| الرتبة | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| الفصيلة | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| حالة الحفاظ | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| الطول | — | — |
| طول الجناح | 25,3 cm (10.0 in) | 27,2 cm (10.7 in) |
| الوزن | 25,0 g (0.88 oz) | 14,38 g (0.51 oz) |
| النظام الغذائي | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| عدد البيض في الوضع | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Little Swift
Harsh, crackling chatter with emphatic rhythm; series of rough notes delivered at pace with occasional sharp screech.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Little Swift
Found across Africa and Asia from Senegal east to India and Sri Lanka, and southeast to Southeast Asia. Common in urban areas and open country.
African Palm Swift
Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Somalia and south to South Africa. Common in open areas near palms; nests in palm leaves.
حالة الحفاظ
Little Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Little Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown; large white rump patch; white throat; underparts dark; square-ended tail; widespread from Africa to Asia; the large square white rump patch and square tail distinguish it from …
African Palm Swift
Slender and long-tailed; uniformly pale greyish-brown overall; underparts paler grey-buff; long deeply forked tail; pale uniform appearance with no contrasting markings; widespread African palm-nesting swift with distinctive slender silhouette.
About These Birds
Little Swift
A small swift (12-13 cm) widespread across the Old World tropics from Africa through Asia to Australasia. Dark plumage with a white rump and broad, square tail. Aerial insectivore. Commonly nests in colonies on buildings and bridges. One of the most familiar swifts in tropical towns.
African Palm Swift
A slender swift (15-17 cm) with long, narrow wings and a deeply forked tail. Dark brown plumage. Found across sub-Saharan Africa in savanna and open woodland, closely associated with palm trees. Aerial insectivore. One of Africa's most abundant swift species.