Pallid Swift vs African Palm Swift

Apus pallidus comparado con Cypsiurus parvus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Pallid Swift African Palm Swift
Nombre científico Apus pallidus Cypsiurus parvus
Orden Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Familia Apodidae Apodidae
Estado de conservación Least Concern Least Concern
Longitud
Envergadura 33,4 cm (13.1 in) 27,2 cm (10.7 in)
Peso 42,25 g (1.49 oz) 14,38 g (0.51 oz)
Dieta Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km.
Tamaño de la puesta 1-4 1-3
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Hábitats compartidos

Pallid Swift only

Ninguno

African Palm Swift only

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Song & Call Comparison

Pallid Swift

Canto

Melodic, rolling trill with rich timbre; sustained musical phrase with slight variations on repeated delivery at dusk.

African Palm Swift

Canto

Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.

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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.

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.

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Estado de conservación

Least Concern

Pallid Swift

Least Concern

African Palm Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Pallid Swift

Plumaje

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 …

African Palm Swift

Plumaje

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.

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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.

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.

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