Pygmy Swiftlet vs African Palm Swift
Collocalia troglodytes comparé à Cypsiurus parvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Pygmy Swiftlet | African Palm Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Collocalia troglodytes | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 18,6 cm (7.3 in) | 27,2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Poids | 5,55 g (0.20 oz) | 14,38 g (0.51 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Obligate aerial insectivore; catches minute flies, beetles, and aerial spiders while foraging near cave roosts. | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. |
| Taille de la couvée | -- | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Habitats partagés
Pygmy Swiftlet only
African Palm Swift only
Song & Call Comparison
Pygmy Swiftlet
Extremely high, thin twittering; among highest-pitched calls of any bird; 'tseee-tseee' barely audible to adults; uses echolocation clicks in Philippine limestone caves
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pygmy Swiftlet
Endemic to the Philippines, found on Mindanao and adjacent islands. Resident in lowland forest and coastal caves. One of the smallest swiftlets.
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.
Statut de conservation
Pygmy Swiftlet
African Palm Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Pygmy Swiftlet
Tiny; dark blue-black upperparts with faint iridescence; white or pale buff rump band; underparts pale greyish-white; slightly forked tail; one of the smallest swiftlets in the Philippines; cave-nesting with pale …
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.
About These Birds
Pygmy Swiftlet
The smallest swiftlet (9 cm), endemic to the Philippines. Dark grey-brown plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging in small flocks over forest. Colonial cave nester. Despite being common, poorly studied due to the difficulty of distinguishing small, dark swiftlets in flight.
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.