Photo: Christoph Moning / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Swifts

Forbes-Watson’s Swift

Apus berliozi

Forbes-Watson's Swift (Apus berliozi) — Swifts of Africa.

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Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

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The Forbes-Watson’s Swift (Apus berliozi) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 38.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Apodiformes
Family Apodidae Swifts
Genus Apus
Species berliozi

Where it lives

Eastern

Africa

Quick facts

Weight: 38.2 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Apodidae
Order: Apodiformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Bradfield’s Swift

Apus bradfieldi

Least Concern

African Black Swift

Apus barbatus

Least Concern

Pallid Swift

Apus pallidus

Least Concern

Nyanza Swift

Apus niansae

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Forbes-Watson’s Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of rocky terrain, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.

The Forbes-Watson’s Swift (Apus berliozi) is a member of the Apodidae family, within the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 38.2 g, with a wing length of about 17 cm and a tail of around 7.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 205,000 km².

Songs & calls

Forbes-Watson’s Swift — Flight call

Recorded by Stanislas Wroza Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Forbes-Watson’s Swift?

The Forbes-Watson’s Swift is a small bird that weighs around 38.2 g.

Where does the Forbes-Watson’s Swift live?

The Forbes-Watson’s Swift is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Forbes-Watson’s Swift belong to?

The Forbes-Watson’s Swift (Apus berliozi) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.

What does the Forbes-Watson’s Swift eat?

The Forbes-Watson’s Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Is the Forbes-Watson’s Swift endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Forbes-Watson’s Swift make?

1 real field recording of the Forbes-Watson’s Swift — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Forbes-Watson’s Swift's range?

The Forbes-Watson’s Swift has a mapped global range of about 205,000 km².