Ashy-tailed Swift vs African Palm Swift
Chaetura andrei compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ashy-tailed Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetura andrei | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 22.3 cm (8.8 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 17.1 g (0.60 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Ashy-tailed Swift only
None
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Ashy-tailed Swift
Dry rattling chatter with sharp staccato onset; brief bursts of clicking notes followed by descending hissing sound.
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ashy-tailed Swift
Found in eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Partially migratory; moves north in austral winter. Lowland forest.
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
Ashy-tailed Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Ashy-tailed Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown overall; distinctly pale ashy-grey rump and tail contrasting with dark body; underparts dark grey-brown; ashy rump and tail the defining feature separating it from other South American …
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
Ashy-tailed Swift
A small swift (11-12 cm) of lowland forests in Venezuela, the Guianas, and Trinidad, with a separate population in southeastern Brazil. Dark plumage with an ashy-grey rump and undertail. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore. Nests in hollow palms and chimneys.
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.