White-rumped Swiftlet vs African Palm Swift
Aerodramus spodiopygius compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-rumped Swiftlet | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aerodramus spodiopygius | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 23.4 cm (9.2 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 7.4 g (0.26 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on aerial plankton including tiny flies and spiders; forages in large noisy flocks above … | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
White-rumped Swiftlet only
None
African Palm Swift only
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
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
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.
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
White-rumped Swiftlet
African Palm 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.
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
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.
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.