Pallid Swift vs Purple Needletail
Apus pallidus compared with Hirundapus celebensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Pallid Swift | Purple Needletail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus pallidus | Hirundapus celebensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.4 cm (13.1 in) | 42.7 cm (16.8 in) |
| Weight | 42.25 g (1.49 oz) | 186.5 g (6.58 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. | Catches aerial plankton of small insects and spiders in fast sweeping flight; roosts in rock … |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Pallid Swift
Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.
Purple Needletail
Thin, penetrating screech with piercing quality; rapid trilling notes cascading steeply, cutting through jungle noise effectively.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pallid Swift
Breeds in the Mediterranean and North Africa east to Pakistan. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Purple Needletail
Found on Sulawesi, the Philippines, and adjacent islands in Wallacea. Resident in lowland and hill forest, foraging over forest and open areas.
Conservation Status
Pallid Swift
Purple Needletail
How to Tell Them Apart
Pallid Swift
Medium-large; pale brownish-grey overall, distinctly paler than Common Swift; larger pale throat patch; wing coverts show pale scaly edges; Mediterranean and Middle Eastern species; pale sandy-brown tone separates it from …
Purple Needletail
Very large; dark black-brown upperparts with intense purple gloss on back and wing coverts; white throat patch; white undertail coverts; short spiny tail; Sulawesi endemic and the heaviest needletail; stunning …
About These Birds
Pallid Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) similar to Common Swift but paler, sandy-brown overall with a larger white throat patch. Found across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Aerial insectivore. Long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Purple Needletail
A large needletail swift (19-20 cm) endemic to the Philippines and Sulawesi. Dark plumage with purplish gloss and a white throat patch. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore, foraging in rapid flight over montane forests. Less studied than its continental relatives.