Pallid Swift vs Plain Swift
Apus pallidus verglichen mit Apus unicolor
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Pallid Swift | Plain Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Apus pallidus | Apus unicolor |
| Ordnung | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familie | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 33,4 cm (13.1 in) | 29,9 cm (11.8 in) |
| Gewicht | 42,25 g (1.49 oz) | 24,2 g (0.85 oz) |
| Ernährung | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. | Exclusively aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and spiders drifting in aerial plankton at altitude. |
| Gelegegröße | 1-4 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Pallid Swift
Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.
Plain Swift
Harsh, grating scream with descending inflection; loud raspy calls carrying urgency, often given during colony disturbance.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pallid Swift
Breeds in the Mediterranean and North Africa east to Pakistan. Migratory; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.
Plain Swift
Breeds on the Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. Resident on these Macaronesian archipelagos. Closely related to Common Swift.
Erhaltungsstatus
Pallid Swift
Plain Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Pallid Swift
Medium-large; pale brownish-grey overall, distinctly paler than Common Swift; larger pale throat patch; wing coverts show pale scaly edges; Mediterranean and Middle Eastern species; pale sandy-brown tone separates it from …
Plain Swift
Dark sooty-brown plumage; very faint pale chin; no distinct throat patch; entirely plain and uniform; smaller than Common Swift; Macaronesian endemic breeding in Canary Islands and Madeira; coloration slightly paler …
About These Birds
Pallid Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) similar to Common Swift but paler, sandy-brown overall with a larger white throat patch. Found across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Aerial insectivore. Long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Plain Swift
A medium-sized swift (14-15 cm) endemic to the Macaronesian islands of Madeira and the Canaries. Dark brown plumage, slightly paler than Common Swift. Aerial insectivore. Resident population on the islands. Closely related to Common Swift but lacks the pale throat patch.