Nyanza Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus niansae compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Nyanza Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus niansae | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 31.0 cm (12.2 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 32.4 g (1.14 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Obligate aerial forager; feeds entirely on the wing on small flying insects, midges, and airborne … | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Nyanza Swift only
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Nyanza Swift
High, thin sibilant trill with insect-like quality; barely perceptible rapid modulation of a single high-pitched note.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Nyanza Swift
Found in East Africa from Ethiopia and Sudan south to Uganda and Kenya. Resident or intra-African migrant in open savanna near Lake Victoria.
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
Nyanza Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Nyanza Swift
Dark sooty-brown overall; pale whitish chin and throat patch; underparts slightly paler brown; moderately forked tail; East African species similar to Common Swift but slightly paler below with a subtly …
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
Nyanza Swift
A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) found in highland areas of East Africa from Sudan to Tanzania. Dark plumage with a white belly patch. Aerial insectivore. Often seen in mixed flocks with other swift species over montane grassland. Sometimes considered a subspecies of African Swift.
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.