About the House Swift
The house swift is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Japan, Nepal, and Southeast Asia. It is capable of flying long distances by alternately shutting off hemispheres of its brain in-flight.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The house swift looks quite similar to the little swift. It is a small bird, but a medium-sized swift, with a wingspan of 12.5-14.5 cm. Its body size ranges from 14 to 16 cm and weighs approximately 20-35 g. This species has a dark, slightly forked tail. Other than the white rump band and white throat-patch, the house swift has a black plumage, darker than the little swift. Voice: House swifts make a ti-ti-ti-tititrrrrrr sound, among many others, as part of their vocal catalogues.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the House Swift lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Australia.
When to see the House Swift
Peak activity in April · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
White-rumped SwiftApus cafferThis 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.
Pallid SwiftApus pallidusThis 16–17 cm (6.3–6.7 in) long species is very similar to the common swift, and separation is only possible with good views.
Fork-tailed SwiftApus pacificusAt 17–18 cm (6.7–7.1 in) in length, the Pacific swift is the largest of the Apus swifts.
Side by side: Common Swift vs House Swift · House Swift vs Little Swift · House Swift vs White-rumped Swift · House Swift vs Pallid Swift
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