Band-rumped Swift vs African Palm Swift
Chaetura spinicaudus compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Band-rumped Swift | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetura spinicaudus | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 20.7 cm (8.1 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 16.4 g (0.58 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Band-rumped Swift
Raspy, churring call with hollow resonance; rough bursts of chattering notes interrupted by brief mechanical clicking 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
Band-rumped Swift
Found in Panama and northwestern South America from Colombia east to Venezuela and the Guianas, south to Brazil and Bolivia. 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
Band-rumped Swift
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Band-rumped Swift
Small; sooty-brown overall with narrow pale grey-white rump band forming a distinct narrow transverse stripe; underparts dark grey-brown; short spiny tail; Amazonian species distinguished by the band-like narrow rump patch.
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
Band-rumped Swift
A small swift (11 cm) of lowland forests from Costa Rica to Brazil. Dark plumage with a conspicuous pale rump band. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore, foraging in flocks over forest canopy. Often seen near rivers and forest edges. Nests in hollow trees.
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.