Moluccan Swiftlet vs African Palm Swift
Aerodramus infuscatus compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Moluccan Swiftlet | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aerodramus infuscatus | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 21.2 cm (8.3 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 15.25 g (0.54 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial plankton specialist catching tiny flies, gnats, and airborne spiders in tight acrobatic flight. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Moluccan Swiftlet
Thin twittering; soft 'chip-chip' calls over Maluku islands; echolocation clicks in caves; moderate-pitched for swiftlet; colonial roosts noisy with overlapping calls
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Moluccan Swiftlet
Found on the Moluccan islands of Indonesia including Halmahera, Seram, and Ambon. Resident in forest and open habitats. Moluccan endemic.
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.
Conservation Status
Moluccan Swiftlet
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Moluccan Swiftlet
Small to medium; dark brown-grey upperparts with pale buff rump band; underparts pale whitish-grey; forked tail; North Moluccan endemic; slightly larger than many congeners with relatively prominent pale rump contrasting …
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
Moluccan Swiftlet
A small swiftlet (11 cm) found in the Moluccan Islands of Indonesia. Dark brown plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy. Colonial cave nester using echolocation. Taxonomy has been revised several times; limited published ecological data.
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.