Apodidae Archives - NatureWorks

Apodidae - Swifts

The Apodidae family includes the swifts. Swifts have forked tails, and their wings have a boomerang shape when they are outstretched.

Swifts spend most of their time in the air and cannot perch because their feet are so tiny. They use their tail feathers to help them land and move around on land. Swifts have short bills and are usually dull in color.

Swifts often nest in caves or on cliffs. There are 102 species of swifts. Swift species are found everywhere, except for Antarctica.

White-Throated Swift
(Aeronautes saxatalis)

The white-throated swift is found from British Columbia, Washington, and Montana to Mexico and Central America. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Common Swift
(Apus apus)

The common swift is found in Europe, Africa, and Asia. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Bradfield's Swift
(Apus bradfieldi)

Bradfield's swift is found in Namibia and South Africa. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Pallid Swift
(Apus pallidus)

The pallid swift is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Glossy Swiftlet
(Collocalia esculenta)

The glossy swiftlet is found in Brunei Darussalam, Christmas Island, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Mascarene Swiftlet
(Aerodramus francicus)

The Mascarene swiftlet is found in Mauritius and Réunion. IUCN Redlist Status: Near Threatened
American Black Swift
(Cypseloides niger)

The American black swift is the largest swift in the U.S. It is found in British Columbia east to Montana and south into Mexico and Central America. It is also found in the Caribbean. IUCN Redlist Status: Vulnerable
Chestnut-Collared Swift
(Streptoprocne rutila)

The chestnut-collared swift is found in Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
White-Collared Swift
(Streptoprocne zonaris)

The white-collared swift is found from Mexico to South America. It is also found in the Caribbean. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Antillean Palm-Swift
(Tachornis phoenicobia)

The Antillean palm-swift is found in Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern
Alpine Swift
(Tachymarptis melba)

The alpine swift is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa.