House Swift
House SwiftHouse Swift

House Swift

Apus nipalensis

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Komodo National Park
4 Verified sightings at Komodo National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,238 Verified sightings across all 30 parks From 2019 to 2026
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the House Swift

The house swift (Apus nipalensis) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Japan, Nepal, and Southeast Asia. It is capable of flying long distances by alternately shutting off hemispheres of its brain in-flight.

It was formerly considered a subspecies of the little swift, under the name Apus affinis subfurcatus. The house swift looks quite similar to the little swift. It is a small bird, but a medium-sized swift, with a wingspan of 12.5-14.5 cm. Its body size ranges from 14 to 16 cm and weighs approximately 20-35 g. This species has a dark, slightly forked tail. Other than the white rump band and white throat-patch, the house swift has a black plumage, darker than the little swift.

The name Apus nipalensis has two parts. Apus is the genus for swifts, and comes from the Latin word for the swift, or swallow with no feet. Nipalensis means from Nepal. Currently, there are four subspecies of the house swift: Apus nipalensis nipalensis, Apus nipalensis subfurcatus, Apus nipalensis furcatus, and Apus nipalensis kuntzi.

The house swift is highly aerial, spending much of its time feeding in the air. The house... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Komodo National Park

Pacific Swift
LC

Pacific Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus pacificus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Tenggara Swiftlet

Tenggara Swiftlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Collocalia sumbawae

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
White-nest Swiftlet
LC

White-nest Swiftlet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Aerodramus fuciphagus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Asian Palm-Swift
LC

Asian Palm-Swift

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Cypsiurus balasiensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
2 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
3 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~20%
4 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
5 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
6 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
7 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
8 Bako National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
9 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
10 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
<5%
12 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
13 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
14 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
15 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
16 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
17 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
18 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
19 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
20 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
21 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
22 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
23 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
24 Komodo National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
25 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
26 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
27 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
28 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Insufficient data
29 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
30 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
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