Bird Guide

Common Swift vs White-rumped Swift

Common Swift (Apus apus)

Common Swift

Apus apus

Small38 gUrban

Common swifts are 16–17 cm (6.3–6.7 in) long with a wingspan of 38–40 cm (15–16 in) and entirely blackish-brown except for a small white or pale grey patch on their chins which is not visible from a distance. They have a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. Their call is a loud scream in two different tone pitches, the higher of which issues from the female. They often form "screaming parties" during summer evenings, when 10–20 swifts will gather in flight around their nesting area, calling out and being answered by nesting swifts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Common Swift
Recorded by Philippe_Grange · Flight call · Rives-de-l'Yon - Rue de Gaulle (near Rives de l'Yon), Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France · CC0
Photo: Alexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
White-rumped Swift (Apus caffer)

White-rumped Swift

Apus caffer

Small22 gShrubland

This 14–15.5 cm (5.5–6.1 in) long species has, like some relatives, a short forked tail and long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. It is entirely dark except for a pale throat patch and a narrow white rump. It is similar to the closely related little swift, but is slimmer, darker and has a more forked tail and a narrower white rump. Voice: This is a quiet species compared to little swift, but a twittering trill is sometimes given.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Common Swift and White-rumped Swift.