African Swift vs Spot-fronted Swift
Apus barbatus compared with Cypseloides cherriei
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Swift | Spot-fronted Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus barbatus | Cypseloides cherriei |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.2 cm (13.5 in) | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) |
| Weight | 42.666666666666664 g (1.51 oz) | 22.725 g (0.80 oz) |
| Diet | Completely aerial diet of small flying insects and spiders; never forages on the ground or … | Feeds aerially on tiny insects and spiders, often following weather fronts where aerial plankton concentrates. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
African Swift
Sharp, piercing screech followed by rapid chatter; intense series of notes escalating in speed and volume before fading.
Spot-fronted Swift
Soft 'chip-chip' notes; thin, quiet twittering in flight; calls over Colombian waterfalls and mountain streams; high-pitched weak trills; rarely vocal away from breeding
Geographic Range & Migration
African Swift
Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. One of Africa's most common swift species.
Spot-fronted Swift
Found in disjunct montane populations from Costa Rica and Venezuela south to Ecuador. Rare; associated with waterfalls at 600–2,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
African Swift
Spot-fronted Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
African Swift
Dark sooty-brown throughout; pale throat patch whitish-grey; underparts slightly paler; broadly similar to Common Swift but slightly larger and marginally paler below; widespread Sub-Saharan African species.
Spot-fronted Swift
Sooty-black overall with distinctive white-spotted forehead; throat shows pale grey-white scaling; no other markings; dark uniform body contrasts with the unique white-spotted loral and frontal spots that name the species.
About These Birds
African Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) found across sub-Saharan Africa. Dark sooty-brown plumage, darker than Pallid Swift. Aerial insectivore, foraging high over varied habitats from forests to savannas. Breeds on cliffs and buildings. Resident or partial migrant within Africa.
Spot-fronted Swift
A medium-sized dark swift (13-14 cm) of montane forests in Costa Rica and western Panama. Sooty-black plumage with white loral spots. Aerial insectivore, foraging high over forested ravines and mountain ridges. Rare and poorly known; classified as Near Threatened.