Bradfield's Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus bradfieldi compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bradfield's Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus bradfieldi | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 35.2 cm (13.9 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 44.25 g (1.56 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Entirely aerial insectivore consuming swarms of tiny flies, winged ants, and ballooning spiders on the … | 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
None
Bradfield's Swift only
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Bradfield's Swift
Pure, whistled two-note phrase; first note high and sustained, second lower and brief, repeated every few seconds clearly.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Bradfield's Swift
Found in Namibia and adjacent parts of South Africa, Botswana, and Angola. Resident in rocky desert, escarpment cliffs, and semi-arid terrain.
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
Bradfield's Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Bradfield's Swift
Dark sooty-brown overall; pale greyish throat patch; underparts slightly paler; large for an African Apus swift; Southern Africa dry-country specialist; slightly larger and greyer-toned than Pallid Swift with less pale …
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
Bradfield's Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) found in arid rocky regions of southwestern Africa (Namibia, Angola, western South Africa). Pale sandy-brown plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over arid gorges and escarpments. Named after R.D.M. Bradfield. A southern African near-endemic.
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.