Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Little Swift
Apus affinis
Little Swift (Apus affinis) — Swifts of Africa.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Little Swift (Apus affinis) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Africa and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 22.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Apus
- Species affinis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Little Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Little Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Little Swift (Apus affinis) belongs to the Apodidae family of the order Apodiformes. Its range spans Africa and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers AF, OR Africa, sw Asia and India.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.6 g, with a wing length of about 12.7 cm and a tail of around 4.2 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 22.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Little Swift?
The Little Swift is a small bird that weighs around 22.6 g.
Where does the Little Swift live?
The Little Swift is found across Africa and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering AF, OR Africa, sw Asia and India, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Little Swift belong to?
The Little Swift (Apus affinis) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Little Swift eat?
The Little Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Little Swift migrate?
The Little Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Little 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 Little Swift make?
1 real field recording of the Little Swift can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Little Swift's range?
The Little Swift has a mapped global range of about 22.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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