Glossy Swiftlet vs African Palm Swift
Collocalia esculenta compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Glossy Swiftlet | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Collocalia esculenta | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 19.9 cm (7.8 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 8.66 g (0.31 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on aerial plankton including tiny flies and spiders; forages in large noisy flocks above … | 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
Song & Call Comparison
Glossy Swiftlet
Rapid, high-pitched twittering; thin 'tsit-tsit-tsit' in flight; echolocation clicks audible in cave roosts; very common; calls over forest and open areas; colonial and noisy
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Glossy Swiftlet
Found from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to New Guinea, Australia, and Pacific islands. One of the most widespread swiftlets.
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
Glossy Swiftlet
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Glossy Swiftlet
Tiny; brilliant blue-green glossy upperparts; contrasting white rump patch; white underparts; deeply forked tail; widespread Indo-Pacific species and one of the most colourful swiftlets with a striking tricolour of gloss, …
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
Glossy Swiftlet
A small swiftlet (9-10 cm) widespread from the Malay Peninsula through Indonesia to the Pacific islands. Glossy blue-black upperparts with whitish or grey underparts. Aerial insectivore, foraging in flocks over forest and open country. Colonial nester in caves and under rock overhangs.
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.