Horus Swift
Apus horus
The Horus Swift (Apus horus) is a rare swift found in 22 countries, weighing about 27 g. The Horus swift is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae that is found in sub-Saharan Africa.
About the Horus Swift
The Horus swift is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae that is found in sub-Saharan Africa. Horus, whose name this bird commemorates, was the ancient Egyptian god of the sun, son of Osiris and Isis.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Horus swift is 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) long and quite bulky. It appears entirely blackish except for a white patch on the chin and a white rump. It has a medium length forked tail. It has a fluttering flight like little swift. The little swift has a square tail, and more extensive white on the rump than Horus, and white-rumped swift has a more deeply forked tail and a narrower white band. The call is a buzzing peeeeooo, peeeeooo.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sudan.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Horus Swift?
- The Horus swift is 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) long and quite bulky. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Horus Swift?
- The Horus Swift is a small sized bird weighing about 27 g.
- Where can you see a Horus Swift?
- The Horus Swift occurs in 22 countries, including South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
- What birds look similar to a Horus Swift?
- The Horus Swift is most easily confused with the Plain Swift, the Bradfield's Swift and the Nyanza Swift.
- Is the Horus Swift endangered?
- The Horus Swift is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Horus Swift for real
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