© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved. Gambia, March, 2013

Bird name: Little Swift
Latin: Apus affinis
Other: Martinet à croupion gris (Fr)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts
Range: Africa, India etc
Similar:

The Little Swifts were too fast for my camera - but here were their nests.

© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved, Brazil August

Bird name: Short Tailed Swift
Latin: Chaetura cinereiventris
Other: vencejo ceniciento (Es), Martinet à croupion gris (Fr)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts
Range: Nicaragua etc, Amazonia, S Brazil
Similar:

Just a record shot of this Grey-rumped Swift in Pará.

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Monaco, July 2010

Bird name: Pallid Swift
Latin: Apus pallidus
Other: Martinet pâle (Fr) • Vencejo pálido (Es) • Andorinhão-pálido (Pt) • Rondone pallido (It)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts
Range: Breeds around Med, Canaries etc - migrates to Africa, Asia
Similar: Common Swift

There are a good number of Pallid Swift in Nice and Monaco, but they look very similar to Common Swifts so are hard to differentiate easily. This individual was one of many swifts in a mixed flock that flies near the port throughout the summer in Monaco.

Markers distinguishing Pallid Swifts from Common Swifts include prominent dark “eye-liner”, ribbed chest, whiter neck patch, wide “hips”, shallow-forked tail, P1 primaries (the frontmost flight feather) shorter than P2, giving wing-tips a blunted appearance.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Ammo Dump, Panama, April 2010

Bird name: Short Tailed Swift
Latin: Chaetura brachyura
Other: Vencejo rabón (Es)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts
Range: Panama through Amazonia

Short-tailed Swifts seemed to be the most common sort in Panama. Identifiable by their apparent lack of tail.

There were one or two other types of swift pointed out at times - Costa Rican Swift, Band-rumped Swift, and the more easily identified White-collared Swift, which I had already seen in Brazil - but the photos are so distant and ambiguous that I’ll wait for a better opportunity before adding those entries to the site.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Nice & Monaco Summer 2009

Bird name: Common Swift
Latin: Apus apus
Other: Martinet noir (Fr) • Rondone (It) • Mauersegler (De) • Vencejo común (Es)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts
Range: Breeds widespread Eurasia, migrates to Southern Africa

It’s difficult to differentiate between the Common Swift and Pallid Swift, both of which are present in large numbers on the Côte d’Azur in summer.

The lowest photo below (in more photos) may be a Pallid Swift. The Pallid Swift has a larger white patch on the throat than the Common Swift and is slightly browner and stockier, with ribbed markings on the belly and less pointed wings.

The Pallid Swift does not occur north of the Mediterranean belt but the Common Swift is widespread throughout Europe.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: La Turbie Summer 2009

Bird name: Alpine Swift
Latin: Apus melba
Other: Tachymarptis melba • Martinet Alpin / Royal / à Ventre Blanc (Fr)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts

The Alpine Swift is a large swift, generally found at higher altitudes, in a band around the Mediterranean and into Turkey and beyond, in the summer. It migrates to southeast Africa in the northern winter.

The Alpine Swift is distinguished by its white stomach and throat, although the latter is not always visible in certain angles and light. These swifts return to the mountains above Monaco in April and spend the summer there.

Notice how they fill their throat pouch with insects, causing it to bulge.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia & Ubatuba November 2009

Bird name: White Collared Swift
Latin: Streptoprocne zonaris
Other: Taperuçu-de-colaira branca (Br)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts

The White Collared Swift is the largest swift in Brazil. Unlike the similar Biscutate Swift its white collar is complete around the neck with no break on the side. Its range extends across most of South America south of the Amazon and also higher up into Mexico.More photos...

085 Apodidae - Swifts - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Cypseloides cherriei - Spot-fronted Swift - Costa Rica to N, NW South America
Cypseloides cryptus - White-chinned Swift - Belize to N, NW South America
Cypseloides storeri - White-fronted Swift - SW Mexico
Cypseloides fumigatus - Sooty Swift - C, SE South America
Cypseloides rothschildi - Rothschild's Swift - SC South America
Cypseloides niger - American Black Swift - W North America, Middle America - South America
Cypseloides lemosi - White-chested Swift - NW South America
Cypseloides senex - Great Dusky Swift - C South America

Streptoprocne phelpsi - Tepui Swift - Tepuis - Cypseloides phelpsi now in Streptoprocne
Streptoprocne rutila - Chestnut-collared Swift - W Mexico to Guyana & Peru - Cypseloides rutilus now in Streptoprocne
Streptoprocne zonaris - White-collared Swift - Widespread Latin America, also Caribbean
Streptoprocne biscutata - Biscutate Swift - E South America
Streptoprocne semicollaris - White-naped Swift - W Mexico

Hydrochous gigas - Giant Swiftlet - Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas

Collocalia esculenta - Glossy Swiftlet - Andaman Islands & Philippines to New Caledonia
Collocalia linchi - Cave Swiftlet - Java, Sumatra
Collocalia dodgei - Bornean Swiftlet - Borneo - Split from C. linchi
Collocalia troglodytes - Pygmy Swiftlet - Philippines

Aerodramus elaphrus - Seychelles Swiftlet - Seychelles Islands
Aerodramus francicus - Mascarene Swiftlet - Mauritius, La Réunion
Aerodramus unicolor - Indian Swiftlet - SW India, Sri Lanka
Aerodramus mearnsi - Philippine Swiftlet - Philippines
Aerodramus infuscatus - Halmahera Swiftlet - Halmahera - New name
Aerodramus sororum - Sulawesi Swiftlet - C,s,se Sulawesi - Split from A. infuscatus
Aerodramus ceramensis - Seram Swiftlet - Buru and Seram Is. Australasia - Split from A. infuscatus
Aerodramus hirundinaceus - Mountain Swiftlet - New Guinea
Aerodramus spodiopygius - White-rumped Swiftlet - Bismarck Archipelago to Samoa
Aerodramus terraereginae - Australian Swiftlet - NE Australia
Aerodramus brevirostris - Himalayan Swiftlet - NE India to SC China & Malay Peninsula
Aerodramus vulcanorum - Volcano Swiftlet - W Java
Aerodramus whiteheadi - Whitehead's Swiftlet - Philippines
Aerodramus nuditarsus - Bare-legged Swiftlet - New Guinea
Aerodramus orientalis - Mayr's Swiftlet - Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands
Aerodramus salangana - Mossy-nest Swiftlet - Sumatra, Java, Borneo
Aerodramus vanikorensis - Uniform Swiftlet - Sulawesi to Vanuatu, Australasia, also Philippines
Aerodramus pelewensis - Palau Swiftlet - Palau Islands
Aerodramus bartschi - Mariana Swiftlet - Mariana Islands
Aerodramus inquietus - Island Swiftlet - Caroline Islands
Aerodramus leucophaeus - Tahiti Swiftlet - Society Islands
Aerodramus sawtelli - Atiu Swiftlet - Cook islands
Aerodramus ocistus - Marquesan Swiftlet - Marquesas Islands
Aerodramus maximus - Black-nest Swiftlet - Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas
Aerodramus fuciphagus - Edible-nest Swiftlet - Andaman Islands, Malay Peninsula to Lesser Sundas
Aerodramus germani - Germain's Swiftlet - Southeast Asia, Borneo, Philippines
Aerodramus papuensis - Three-toed Swiftlet - New Guinea

Schoutedenapus myoptilus - Scarce Swift - E, EC Africa
Schoutedenapus schoutedeni - Schouteden's Swift - E Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mearnsia picina - Philippine Spine-tailed Swift - S Philippines
Mearnsia novaeguineae - Papuan Spine-tailed Swift - New Guinea

Zoonavena grandidieri - Madagascar Spinetail - Madagascar
Zoonavena thomensis - Sao Tome Spinetail - São Tomé, Príncipe
Zoonavena sylvatica - White-rumped Spinetail - Nepal, India

Telacanthura ussheri - Mottled Spinetail - Widespread Africa
Telacanthura melanopygia - Black Spinetail - W, C Africa

Rhaphidura leucopygialis - Silver-rumped Spinetail - Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas
Rhaphidura sabini - Sabine's Spinetail - W, C Africa

Neafrapus cassini - Cassin's Spinetail - W, C Africa
Neafrapus boehmi - Böhm's Spinetail - E, SE Africa

Hirundapus caudacutus - White-throated Needletail - E, S Asia - Australasia
Hirundapus cochinchinensis - Silver-backed Needletail - Widespread Asia
Hirundapus giganteus - Brown-backed Needletail - Widespread Asia
Hirundapus celebensis - Purple Needletail - Philippines, N Sulawesi

Chaetura martinica - Lesser Antillean Swift - Lesser Antilles
Chaetura spinicaudus - Band-rumped Swift - Panama to C Brazil
Chaetura fumosa - Costa Rican Swift - Costa Rica, Panama
Chaetura egregia - Pale-rumped Swift - W Amazonia
Chaetura cinereiventris - Grey-rumped Swift - Widespread Latin America
Chaetura vauxi - Vaux's Swift - W Canada to N South America
Chaetura meridionalis - Sick's Swift - C, SE South America - N South America, Panama - New name
Chaetura pelagica - Chimney Swift - E, C North America - W South America
Chaetura chapmani - Chapman's Swift - Panama to NE Brazil
Chaetura viridipennis - Mato Grosso Swift - W Amazonia
Chaetura brachyura - Short-tailed Swift - Panama through Amazonia

Aeronautes saxatalis - White-throated Swift - W North America, Middle America
Aeronautes montivagus - White-tipped Swift - Venezuela to NW Argentina
Aeronautes andecolus - Andean Swift - Peru to C Argentina

Tachornis phoenicobia - Antillean Palm Swift - Greater Antilles
Tachornis furcata - Pygmy Palm Swift - NE Colombia, W Venezuela
Tachornis squamata - Neotropical Palm Swift - Amazonia, E Brazil

Panyptila sanctihieronymi - Great Swallow-tailed Swift - SW Mexico to Honduras
Panyptila cayennensis - Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift - Widespread Latin America

Cypsiurus parvus - African Palm Swift - Widespread Africa
Cypsiurus balasiensis - Asian Palm Swift - Widespread Asia

Tachymarptis melba - Alpine Swift - Widespread Eurasia, Africa, also India
Tachymarptis aequatorialis - Mottled Swift - Widespread Africa

Apus alexandri - Cape Verde Swift - Cape Verde Is
Apus apus - Common Swift - Widespread Eurasia - S Africa
Apus unicolor - Plain Swift - Morocco, Canary Islands, Madeira
Apus niansae - Nyanza Swift - E Africa
Apus pallidus - Pallid Swift - S Europe, Arabian Peninsula, N Africa - C, W Africa
Apus barbatus - African Black Swift - S, E Africa
Apus balstoni - Malagasy Black Swift - Madagascar region
Apus sladeniae - Fernando Po Swift - W Africa
Apus berliozi - Forbes-Watson's Swift - E Africa
Apus bradfieldi - Bradfield's Swift - SW Africa
Apus pacificus - Fork-tailed Swift - E Eurasia - Asia, Australasia
Apus acuticauda - Dark-rumped Swift - NE India, Burma
Apus affinis - Little Swift - Africa, also SW Asia & India
Apus nipalensis - House Swift - Asia, also S Japan
Apus horus - Horus Swift - Widespread Africa
Apus caffer - White-rumped Swift - Widespread Africa
Apus batesi - Bates's Swift - W, C Africa