Blyth's Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus leuconyx compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blyth's Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus leuconyx | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 42.949999999999996 g (1.52 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Obligate aerial insectivore; takes small flies, beetles, and aerial spiders in swooping fast-flight passes. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Blyth's Swift
Loud, piercing screech with shrill metallic quality; powerful prolonged calls audible from considerable distances in open sky.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Blyth's Swift
Found from Central Asia and the Himalayas east to China and southeastern Russia. Migratory; winters in South and Southeast Asia.
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
Blyth's Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Blyth's Swift
Dark blackish-brown upperparts; white rump patch; white throat; underparts dark brown; deeply forked tail; recently described species closely related to Pacific Swift; separation based on molecular and biometric characters.
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
Blyth's Swift
A medium-sized swift found in montane regions of Central and East Asia. Dark plumage with a white chin patch. Aerial insectivore, foraging over mountain valleys and cliffs. Named after Edward Blyth. Breeds in rock crevices on high cliffs. Poorly known migratory patterns.
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.