Whitehead's Swiftlet vs African Palm Swift
Aerodramus whiteheadi compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Whitehead's Swiftlet | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aerodramus whiteheadi | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Data Deficient | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 14.0 g (0.49 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial plankton feeder taking tiny midges, fungus gnats, and ballooning spiders in rapid coursing flights. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Whitehead's Swiftlet only
None
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Whitehead's Swiftlet
Thin twittering; 'chip-chip' calls over Borneo highlands; echolocation clicks in cave roosts; data deficient; calls poorly documented from remote Bornean montane habitat
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Whitehead's Swiftlet
Endemic to the highlands of Borneo at 800–3,000 m. Resident in montane forest on Mount Kinabalu and the Crocker Range.
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
Whitehead's Swiftlet
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Whitehead's Swiftlet
Small; dark brownish-grey upperparts; pale buff-grey rump band; underparts pale grey-white; forked tail; Philippine endemic from Luzon; data-deficient species differing from Philippine Swiftlet mainly in habitat preference and island range.
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
Whitehead's Swiftlet
A small swiftlet (11-12 cm) endemic to the mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines. Dark plumage with a pale rump. Aerial insectivore of montane forest canopy above 1,000 m. Colonial cave nester using echolocation. Named after John Whitehead. Poorly known.
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.