Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Plain Swift

Apus unicolor

The Plain Swift (Apus unicolor) is a medium-sized swift, a bird that graces the sky with its presence, much like the barn swallow or house martin, yet it is not related to these passerine species. The similarities they share are a result of convergent evolution, a testament to their similar aerial lifestyles.

Identification Tips

With a body length of 14–15 cm, the Plain Swift is characterized by its short forked tail and remarkably long swept-back wings that form a crescent or boomerang shape. Its plumage is uniformly dark, save for a rather indistinct pale patch on the throat. The bird's build is slim and rakish, presenting a more elongated winged appearance compared to its relatives.

Habitat

These swifts are known to breed in colonies that can be found on cliffs, bridges, and buildings, particularly favoring the landscapes of the Canary Islands and Madeira.

Distribution

The Plain Swift is a partially migratory species. While many individuals spend their winters in mainland Africa, recent studies have revealed that they venture as far as the equatorial forests of Liberia and Guinea. There are also small populations believed to breed in Morocco and possibly Mauritania.

Behaviour

These swifts are almost exclusively aerial, only using their very short legs to cling to vertical surfaces. They never voluntarily settle on the ground. Their lives are spent on the wing, where they feed and even drink in flight.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of the Plain Swift are a loud, dry scream, bearing similarity to that of the Common Swift, though it may be of a higher pitch.

Breeding

Breeding takes place in colonies where the Plain Swift constructs saucer-shaped nests out of flowerheads, which are meticulously glued together with saliva. They lay two eggs in these carefully crafted nests.

Similar Species

The Plain Swift can be confused with the Common and Pallid Swifts, which also inhabit the same archipelagos. However, it can be distinguished by its slimmer figure and longer wings. The Pallid Swift, in particular, is lighter with a more conspicuous white throat, while the Common Swift has a white throat in juveniles, making the Plain Swift's more subtle throat patch a key differentiator.

Diet and Feeding

Insects form the staple of the Plain Swift's diet, which are adeptly caught in their beaks as they navigate the air currents.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List currently classifies the Plain Swift as Least Concern, indicating that, for now, this species does not face immediate threats to its survival.

Plain Swift Sounds


Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Plain Swifts on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Swifts

A photo of a Himalayan Swiftlet (Aerodramus brevirostris)

Himalayan Swiftlet

Aerodramus brevirostris
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.