African Palm Swift vs Waterfall Swift
Cypsiurus parvus compared with Hydrochous gigas
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Palm Swift | Waterfall Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypsiurus parvus | Hydrochous gigas |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | 29.2 cm (11.5 in) |
| Weight | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) | 38.540000000000006 g (1.36 oz) |
| Diet | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. | Obligate aerial forager; feeds entirely on the wing on small flying insects, midges, and airborne … |
| Clutch Size | 1-3 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Waterfall Swift
Rapid, high-pitched twittering; sharp 'tsit-tsit' calls over Southeast Asian waterfalls; thin metallic notes; nest behind waterfalls; calls audible over roaring water
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Waterfall Swift
Found from southern Thailand through the Thai-Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Borneo. Restricted to rivers near waterfalls. Scarce.
Conservation Status
African Palm Swift
Waterfall Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Waterfall Swift
Blackish-brown upperparts with slight gloss; grey-brown underparts paler than back; pale grey-white chin and throat; no rump patch; robust-bodied and large; Southeast Asian waterfall specialist with uniformly dark plumage and …
About These Birds
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.
Waterfall Swift
A large swift (16-17 cm) endemic to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forested rivers and near waterfalls. Nests behind large waterfalls, where the name derives. One of the least known Asian swifts.