The little swift is a small species of swift found in Africa and southwestern Asia, and are vagrants and local breeders in southern Europe. They are found both in urban areas and at rocky cliffs where they build nests in a way typical of all members of the order Apodiformes. The genus name Apus is Latin for a swift, thought by the ancients to be a type of swallow without feet. The Latin specific affinis means similar to or related to, but in this case the species that the little swift supposedly resembles is not clear from the description. A population formerly considered to be an eastern subspecies of little swift is now separated as a distinct species, the house swift.
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa and Southwest Asia
Typical Environment
Little swifts are common across much of sub-Saharan Africa and extend into the Arabian Peninsula and parts of southwestern Asia, with vagrants and local breeding in southern Europe. They thrive in urban areas, nesting under eaves and bridges, and also occupy natural cliff faces and gorges. They forage over open country, rivers, coasts, and towns, often gathering over insect swarms. Proximity to human structures has aided their range in many regions.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The little swift spends most of its life on the wing, feeding, drinking, and even bathing in flight. It readily nests on buildings and bridges as well as cliffs, forming tight colonies that chatter noisily. A bold white rump and white throat patch help separate it from other small swifts. Former eastern populations are now treated as the distinct house swift.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
fast with rapid, stiff wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Colonial breeder that nests in crevices, under ledges, and beneath eaves, using feathers and other materials glued with saliva. Pairs are typically monogamous within a season and both sexes incubate and feed the young. Non-breeding birds form flocks that wheel and chase over feeding sites.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are high-pitched, buzzy twittering and dry, chattering trills, often exchanged in flight around colonies. Vocalizations intensify near nest sites and during aerial chases.
