Fernando Po Swift vs African Palm Swift
Apus sladeniae compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Fernando Po Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus sladeniae | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Data Deficient | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 35.4 cm (13.9 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 42.0 g (1.48 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore relying entirely on flying insects (midges, gnats, small beetles) and airborne spiders. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Fernando Po Swift only
None
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Fernando Po Swift
Deep, resonant wingbeat audible alongside soft chips; quiet churring call barely distinguishable from surrounding ambient sounds.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Fernando Po Swift
Found on Bioko Island in the Gulf of Guinea and adjacent Cameroon highlands. Restricted to mountain forests and highland areas.
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
Fernando Po Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Fernando Po Swift
Dark sooty-brown overall; pale greyish throat and chin patch; underparts slightly paler; broadly similar to African Swift; data-deficient Bioko Island endemic; plumage details poorly documented from limited specimens.
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
Fernando Po Swift
A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) found on the island of Bioko (formerly Fernando Po) in the Gulf of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore. A poorly known, range-restricted species limited to the volcanic island. Very limited ecological data available.
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.