African Swift

African Swift

Apus barbatus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Lake Nakuru National Park
53 Verified sightings at Lake Nakuru National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,869 Verified sightings across all 43 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the African Swift

The African black swift (Apus barbatus), also known as the African swift or black swift, is a medium-sized bird in the swift family. It breeds in Africa discontinuously from Liberia, Cameroon, Zaire, Uganda and Kenya southwards to South Africa. The "black swifts" of Madagascar and the Comoros are either taken as two subspecies of the African black swift, or otherwise deemed a full species, the Malagasy black swift.

The African black swift was formally described in 1866 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater under the binomial name Cypselus barbatus based on a specimen collected in the Cape Province of South Africa. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "bearded". The African black swift is now one of sixteen species placed in the genus Apus. This species is also known as the African swift and the black swift.

Seven subspecies are recognised: A. b. glanvillei Benson, CW, 1967 – Sierra Leone and possibly adjacent Liberia and Ivory Coast; small breeding population discovered in Ghana perhaps extends to adjacent Togo A. b. serlei De Roo, AEM, 1970 – western Cameroon (Bamenda Plateau)

A. b. roehli Reichenow, A, 1906 – northeastern Uganda and northern Kenya to eastern Democratic... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Lake Nakuru National Park

Little Swift
LC

Little Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus affinis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Nyanza Swift
LC

Nyanza Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus niansae

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Horus Swift
LC

Horus Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus horus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-rumped Swift
LC

White-rumped Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus caffer

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Common Swift
LC

Common Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus apus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
African Palm-Swift
LC

African Palm-Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cypsiurus parvus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Mottled Swift
LC

Mottled Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachymarptis aequatorialis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Golden Gate Highlands National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
2 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
5 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
6 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
7 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
8 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
9 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
10 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
11 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
12 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
13 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
14 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
15 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
16 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
17 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
18 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
19 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
20 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
21 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
22 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
23 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
24 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
25 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
26 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
27 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
28 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
29 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
30 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
31 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
32 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
33 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
34 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
35 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
36 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
37 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
38 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
39 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
40 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
41 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
42 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
43 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a African Swift in Lake Nakuru National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a African Swift sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see African Swift in Lake Nakuru National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for African Swift in Lake Nakuru National Park in our monthly data.

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