African Palm Swift vs Tepui Swift
Cypsiurus parvus compared with Streptoprocne phelpsi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Palm Swift | Tepui Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypsiurus parvus | Streptoprocne phelpsi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) |
| Weight | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) | 22.240000000000002 g (0.78 oz) |
| Diet | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. | Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … |
| Clutch Size | 1-3 | -- |
| 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.
Tepui Swift
Sharp, rapid twittering; thin screaming 'scree-scree'; calls over tepui summits in Venezuela; higher-pitched than White-collared Swift; small size reflected in thin notes
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.
Tepui Swift
Found in the tepui highlands of southern Venezuela and adjacent Guyana and Brazil above 1,000 m. Resident in Guiana Shield rocky outcrops.
Conservation Status
African Palm Swift
Tepui 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.
Tepui Swift
Dark blackish-brown overall with no white collar; slightly paler brownish-grey chin; small and compact; confined to Venezuelan tepuis; lacks the diagnostic white or chestnut collar found in most Streptoprocne swifts.
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.
Tepui Swift
A medium-sized swift (15-16 cm) endemic to the tepui highlands of southern Venezuela and adjacent Guyana. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over tepui cliffs and forested valleys. Named after William Phelps. One of the least known Neotropical swifts.