Madagascar Swift vs African Swift
Apus balstoni comparado con Apus barbatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Madagascar Swift | African Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Nombre científico | Apus balstoni | Apus barbatus |
| Orden | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familia | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Estado de conservación | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longitud | — | — |
| Envergadura | 32,2 cm (12.7 in) | 34,2 cm (13.5 in) |
| Peso | 46,125 g (1.63 oz) | 42,666666666666664 g (1.51 oz) |
| Dieta | Feeds exclusively on aerial plankton — tiny flies, aphids, and spiders — captured in continuous … | Completely aerial diet of small flying insects and spiders; never forages on the ground or … |
| Tamaño de la puesta | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Song & Call Comparison
Madagascar Swift
Soft twittering with delicate clicking elements; light, airy notes tumbling quickly in loose sequence near water sources.
African Swift
Sharp, piercing screech followed by rapid chatter; intense series of notes escalating in speed and volume before fading.
Geographic Range & Migration
Madagascar Swift
Found in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Resident in open habitats including savanna, coastal areas, and highland grassland.
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.
Estado de conservación
Madagascar Swift
African Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Madagascar Swift
Dark sooty-brown overall; pale whitish throat patch; underparts slightly paler brown; moderately forked tail; Malagasy endemic; one of the heavier island Apus swifts; closely resembles African Swift but restricted to …
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.
About These Birds
Madagascar Swift
A medium-sized swift (15-16 cm) found across Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forests and open areas. Closely related to African Swift. Resident population. Limited published ecological data compared to continental relatives.
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.