Madagascar Swift vs African Palm Swift

Apus balstoni comparado com Cypsiurus parvus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Madagascar Swift African Palm Swift
Nome científico Apus balstoni Cypsiurus parvus
Ordem Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Família Apodidae Apodidae
Estado de conservação Least Concern Least Concern
Comprimento
Envergadura 32,2 cm (12.7 in) 27,2 cm (10.7 in)
Peso 46,125 g (1.63 oz) 14,38 g (0.51 oz)
Dieta Feeds exclusively on aerial plankton — tiny flies, aphids, and spiders — captured in continuous … Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km.
Tamanho da postura 1-2 1-3
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partilhados

Nenhum

Madagascar Swift only

Nenhum

African Palm Swift only

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Song & Call Comparison

Madagascar Swift

Canto

Soft twittering with delicate clicking elements; light, airy notes tumbling quickly in loose sequence near water sources.

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

Madagascar Swift

Found in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Resident in open habitats including savanna, coastal areas, and highland grassland.

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 conservação

Least Concern

Madagascar Swift

Least Concern

African Palm Swift

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How to Tell Them Apart

Madagascar Swift

Plumagem

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 Palm Swift

Plumagem

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

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 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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