African Palm Swift vs Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Cypsiurus parvus compared with Panyptila cayennensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Palm Swift | Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypsiurus parvus | Panyptila cayennensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | 23.8 cm (9.4 in) |
| Weight | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) | 21.8 g (0.77 oz) |
| Diet | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. | Aerial insectivore feeding on swarms of small flies, winged ants, and tiny beetles during sustained … |
| Clutch Size | 1-3 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
African Palm Swift only
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift only
None
Song & Call Comparison
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Dry, clicking chatter interspersed with thin whistles; rapid mechanical trill delivered with persistent energy throughout day.
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.
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Found from Mexico south through Central America and South America to Bolivia and Brazil. Resident in lowland and foothill forest edge.
Conservation Status
African Palm Swift
Lesser Swallow-tailed 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.
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Black upperparts; white throat and white flanks; white rump patch; deeply forked long tail; smaller version of Great Swallow-tailed Swift; widespread from Mexico to South America; forked tail and bold …
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.
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
A medium-sized swift (13-14 cm) with a moderately forked tail and white throat patch. Found from southern Mexico through Central America to Peru and Brazil. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy and clearings. Nests under overhanging cliffs and bridges.