White-rumped swift facts for kids

Quick facts for kids White-rumped swift
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification

The white-rumped swift (Apus caffer) is a cool type of swift bird. Even though it looks a bit like a house martin, they are not actually close relatives. They look similar because they live in similar ways, which is called convergent evolution. This means different animals can develop similar features if they have similar lifestyles.

About the White-Rumped Swift

This section tells you all about what the white-rumped swift looks like.

What Does a White-Rumped Swift Look Like?

This bird is about 14–15.5 cm (5.5–6.1 in) long. That's about the length of a pen! It has a short, forked tail. Its long wings sweep back, looking like a crescent moon or a boomerang. The bird is mostly dark in color. It has a light patch on its throat. You can also see a thin white band on its rump (its lower back). This is how it gets its name! It looks a lot like the little swift. However, the white-rumped swift is thinner and darker. It also has a more forked tail and a smaller white rump patch.

What Does a White-Rumped Swift Sound Like?

Compared to the little swift, this bird is pretty quiet. Sometimes, you might hear a soft, twittering sound. It's like a gentle, chirping song.

White-Rumped Swift Habits and Habitat

Learn how these amazing birds live and where they make their homes.

How Do White-Rumped Swifts Live?

Like other swifts, these birds have very short legs. They use their legs only to cling to vertical surfaces. This means they can hold onto walls or cliffs. They never land on the ground by choice. White-rumped swifts spend most of their lives flying in the air. They catch insects with their beaks while they fly. They also drink water while flying. They scoop up water with their beaks as they glide over lakes or rivers.

Where Do White-Rumped Swifts Live?

The places where white-rumped swifts live depend on other birds. This is because they use other birds' nests. So, you often find them near places where humans live. They like man-made structures such as bridges and buildings. These are good spots for their host birds to build nests.

White-Rumped Swift Reproduction and Range

Discover where these birds are found and how they raise their young.

Where Do White-Rumped Swifts Breed?

White-rumped swifts breed in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They have also spread into Morocco and southern Spain. The birds in Spain, Morocco, and southern Africa are migratory. This means they fly to different places for winter. We don't know exactly where they go for winter yet. Birds living in tropical Africa usually stay in one place. But they might move around a bit during different seasons. In 2022, people saw them nesting in Corsica, an island in Europe.

How Do White-Rumped Swifts Reproduce?

This species is quite clever when it comes to nesting. They take over the nests of other birds! They often use nests built by little swifts. They also use nests from swallows that build bottle-shaped nests. In Europe and North Africa, they usually take nests from the red-rumped swallow. South of the Sahara, they might use nests from other swallows, like the wire-tailed swallow. The white-rumped swifts either chase the original nest owners away. Or, they simply settle into the nest and refuse to leave! Once they have a nest, they line it with feathers and their own saliva. Then, the female bird lays one or two eggs.

Gallery

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  A pair of white-rumped swifts at their nest.
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