African Swift vs Sooty Swift
Apus barbatus comparado com Cypseloides fumigatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | African Swift | Sooty Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Nome científico | Apus barbatus | Cypseloides fumigatus |
| Ordem | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Família | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Estado de conservação | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Comprimento | — | — |
| Envergadura | 34,2 cm (13.5 in) | 29,0 cm (11.4 in) |
| Peso | 42,666666666666664 g (1.51 oz) | 41,666666666666664 g (1.47 oz) |
| Dieta | Completely aerial diet of small flying insects and spiders; never forages on the ground or … | Catches aerial plankton — tiny midges, gnats, and ballooning spiders — continuously during soaring flight. |
| Tamanho da postura | 1-2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
African Swift
Sharp, piercing screech followed by rapid chatter; intense series of notes escalating in speed and volume before fading.
Sooty Swift
Soft twittering 'tsit-tsit'; thin, buzzy notes in flight; calls over Neotropical waterfalls and gorges; quiet, raspy trill; rarely as vocal as larger swift species
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Sooty Swift
Found in the Guiana Shield and Amazon Basin in Brazil, Venezuela, and the Guianas. Nomadic; associated with rocky outcrops and waterfalls.
Estado de conservação
African Swift
Sooty Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Sooty Swift
Uniformly dark sooty-brown plumage throughout; no contrasting pale markings anywhere; slightly paler brownish-grey on throat; large and uniform; South American species whose entirely dark coloration recalls blackish swiftlets but much …
About These Birds
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.
Sooty Swift
A medium-sized swift (15-17 cm) found in subtropical and montane forests of southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Sooty-brown plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forested gorges and waterfalls. Nests behind waterfalls on wet rock faces.