Photo: Robert Pudwill / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pacific Swift
Apus pacificus
Pacific Swift (Apus pacificus) — Swifts of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pacific Swift (Apus pacificus) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 39.4 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 pacificus
Where it lives
Central Siberia and Mongolia through Kamchatka (southeastern Russia) and Japan, and south to eastern Tibetan Plateau and adjacent western Sichuan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 39.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pacific Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Pacific Swift is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Pacific Swift (Apus pacificus) belongs to the Apodidae family of the order Apodiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL c Siberia and Mongolia through Kamchatka (se Russia) and Japan, and s to e Tibetan Plateau and adjacent w Sichuan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39.4 g, with a wing length of about 17.3 cm and a tail of around 7.2 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 15.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pacific Swift?
The Pacific Swift is a small bird that weighs around 39.4 g.
Where does the Pacific Swift live?
The Pacific Swift is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL c Siberia and Mongolia through Kamchatka (se Russia) and Japan, and s to e Tibetan Plateau and adjacent w Sichuan, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Pacific Swift belong to?
The Pacific Swift (Apus pacificus) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Pacific Swift eat?
The Pacific Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pacific Swift migrate?
The Pacific Swift is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Pacific 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 Pacific Swift make?
1 real field recording of the Pacific 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 Pacific Swift's range?
The Pacific Swift has a mapped global range of about 15.9 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.
Explore more birds
More in Apodidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Swifts
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern