House Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus nipalensis compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | House Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus nipalensis | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.0 cm (10.2 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 28.15 g (0.99 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Obligate aerial forager catching small flies, aphids, winged termites, and airborne spiders on the wing. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | 1-5 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
House Swift
Soft, melodic warbling phrase with flowing quality; gentle notes weaving smoothly, typical of damp tropical forest mornings.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
House Swift
Found from Afghanistan east through South and Southeast Asia to Japan and Indonesia. Common in urban areas and hill country up to 2,500 m.
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
House Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
House Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown; white rump patch; white throat; underparts dark; square-ended tail; East and Southeast Asian colonial swift; closely resembles Little Swift but slightly larger and marginally different in rump …
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
House Swift
A small swift (13-15 cm) found across South and Southeast Asia from Japan through China to Indonesia. Dark plumage with a white rump and square tail. Aerial insectivore. Colonial nester on buildings, bridges, and cliffs. Very common in Asian cities and towns.
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.