White-rumped Swiftlet vs Pallid Swift
Aerodramus spodiopygius compared with Apus pallidus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-rumped Swiftlet | Pallid Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aerodramus spodiopygius | Apus pallidus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 23.4 cm (9.2 in) | 33.4 cm (13.1 in) |
| Weight | 7.4 g (0.26 oz) | 42.25 g (1.49 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on aerial plankton including tiny flies and spiders; forages in large noisy flocks above … | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
White-rumped Swiftlet
Rapid thin twittering; high 'tsit-tsit' notes over Pacific islands; echolocation clicks in caves; colonial; produces soft chattering in roost cavities; unremarkable call
Pallid Swift
Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-rumped Swiftlet
Found across the southwestern Pacific including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu east to the Cook Islands. Resident from coast to mountains.
Pallid Swift
Breeds in the Mediterranean and North Africa east to Pakistan. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Conservation Status
White-rumped Swiftlet
Pallid Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
White-rumped Swiftlet
Small; dark brownish-black upperparts with faint gloss; white rump patch contrasting sharply with dark back and tail; underparts pale greyish-white; forked tail; widespread Pacific species with diagnostically bright white rump.
Pallid Swift
Medium-large; pale brownish-grey overall, distinctly paler than Common Swift; larger pale throat patch; wing coverts show pale scaly edges; Mediterranean and Middle Eastern species; pale sandy-brown tone separates it from …
About These Birds
White-rumped Swiftlet
A small swiftlet (10-11 cm) widespread across the western Pacific from the Bismarck Archipelago to Fiji and Samoa. Dark plumage with a conspicuous white rump band. Aerial insectivore. Colonial cave nester using echolocation. One of the most widespread Pacific swiftlets.
Pallid Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) similar to Common Swift but paler, sandy-brown overall with a larger white throat patch. Found across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Aerial insectivore. Long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.