Horus Swift vs African Palm Swift

Apus horus comparé à Cypsiurus parvus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Horus Swift African Palm Swift
Nom scientifique Apus horus Cypsiurus parvus
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Apodidae Apodidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 30,0 cm (11.8 in) 27,2 cm (10.7 in)
Poids 27,5 g (0.97 oz) 14,38 g (0.51 oz)
Régime alimentaire Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km.
Taille de la couvée 1-4 1-3
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Aucun(e)

Horus Swift only

Aucun(e)

African Palm Swift only

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Song & Call Comparison

Horus Swift

Chant

Sharp, buzzy chip followed by short descending whistle; compact two-part call repeated persistently from elevated perch.

African Palm Swift

Chant

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

Horus Swift

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. Resident in woodland and grassland near rivers.

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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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Horus Swift

Least Concern

African Palm Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Horus Swift

Plumage

Dark sooty-brown; large white rump patch; white throat; pale flanks creating partial white underpart; square-ended tail; African species; compared to Little Swift, paler flanks give a more extensively white underpart …

African Palm Swift

Plumage

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

Horus Swift

A small swift (12-13 cm) found in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East. Dark plumage with a white rump and throat. Aerial insectivore. Colonial nester on cliffs and buildings. Often nests in old swallow nests. Named after the Egyptian god Horus.

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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