White-rumped Swift

Overview

The white-rumped swift (Apus caffer) is a small bird that resembles a house martin but is not closely related, owing to convergent evolution. It spends most of its life in the air and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 14–15.5 cm long with a short forked tail and long swept-back wings.
• Entirely dark plumage with a pale throat patch and a narrow white rump.
• Slimmer, darker, and more forked-tailed than the similar little swift, with a narrower white rump.
• Quiet species that sometimes produces a twittering trill.

Habitat

The species inhabits man-made structures such as bridges and buildings. It breeds in much of sub-Saharan Africa and has expanded into Morocco, southern Spain, and Corsica.

Diet

They feed on insects caught in their beaks while flying and drink on the wing. They possess very short legs used only for clinging to vertical surfaces and never settle voluntarily on the ground.

Did you know?

This species appropriates the nests of little swifts and swallows, driving the original owners away or refusing to move to establish its own colony.