Bates's Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus batesi compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bates's Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus batesi | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 24.6 cm (9.7 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 22.1 g (0.78 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Entirely airborne feeder on tiny flies, gnats, and airborne arachnids; one of the most aerial … | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Bates's Swift
Rapid, light twittering with bright crystalline quality; cascading series of high pure notes tumbling freely in open air.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Bates's Swift
Found in a restricted range in West and Central Africa from Cameroon and Gabon. Resident in lowland rainforest. Rare and poorly known.
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
Bates's Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Bates's Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown overall; narrow pale greyish-white rump band; pale greyish chin; underparts dark brown; forked tail; West African forest species; the narrowest and dullest rump band among African white-rumped …
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
Bates's Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) found in lowland and montane forests of West and Central Africa. Dark plumage with a greenish gloss. Aerial insectivore. Colonial breeder. One of the least known African swifts due to its forest habitat. Named after George Latimer Bates.
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.