Philippine Glossy Swiftlet vs African Palm Swift
Collocalia marginata compared with Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Philippine Glossy Swiftlet | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Collocalia marginata | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 7.2 g (0.25 oz) | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Diet | Tiny aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; congregates where insects emerge over water. | 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
Philippine Glossy Swiftlet only
None
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Philippine Glossy Swiftlet
Very high thin twittering; 'tsit-tsit' in flight; echolocation clicks in cave roosts; extremely small; call barely audible to human ear; rapid chittering over Philippine forest
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Philippine Glossy Swiftlet
Endemic to the Philippines, found on most major islands. Resident in lowland and hill forest and open areas up to 1,500 m elevation.
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
Philippine Glossy Swiftlet
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Philippine Glossy Swiftlet
Tiny; glossy greenish-black upperparts; white-buff rump patch; dark sooty underparts; deeply forked tail; endemic to Philippine islands; the blue-green iridescence on the back is more pronounced than in drabber Collocalia …
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
Philippine Glossy Swiftlet
A small swiftlet (9-10 cm) endemic to the Philippines. Glossy dark plumage with pale fringes on wing feathers. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy and clearings. Colonial nester in caves. Found across most major Philippine islands.
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.