Forbes-Watson's Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus berliozi compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Forbes-Watson's Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus berliozi | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.0 cm (13.4 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 43.166666666666664 g (1.52 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Obligate aerial feeder on small insects and arachnids; catches prey in a wide gape during … | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Forbes-Watson's Swift only
None
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Forbes-Watson's Swift
Rapid, buzzy chatter descending at end; rough staccato notes spilling quickly with emphatic final chip before silence.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Forbes-Watson's Swift
Breeds in the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa from Somalia south to Tanzania. Partially migratory; range and taxonomy incompletely understood.
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
Forbes-Watson's Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Forbes-Watson's Swift
Dark sooty-brown overall with pale buff throat patch; underparts slightly paler brown; Socotra Island and East African coast species; plumage similar to African Swift but slightly paler throat and restricted …
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
Forbes-Watson's Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) found in arid coastal regions from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and northwestern Indian Ocean islands. Pale brown plumage with a large white throat patch. Aerial insectivore. Named after the German zoologist Rudolf Berlioz.
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.