House Swift
House SwiftHouse Swift

House Swift

Apus nipalensis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Sepilok
70 Verified sightings at Sepilok From 2019 to 2026
2,234 Verified sightings across all 29 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 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 Sepilok

Pacific Swift
LC

Pacific Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus pacificus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Plume-toed Swiftlet

Plume-toed Swiftlet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Collocalia affinis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Silver-rumped Needletail
LC

Silver-rumped Needletail

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Rhaphidura leucopygialis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
White-nest Swiftlet
LC

White-nest Swiftlet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Aerodramus fuciphagus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Brown-backed Needletail
LC

Brown-backed Needletail

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Hirundapus giganteus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Asian Palm-Swift
LC

Asian Palm-Swift

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Cypsiurus balasiensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-nest Swiftlet
LC

Black-nest Swiftlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aerodramus maximus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Mossy-nest Swiftlet
LC

Mossy-nest Swiftlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aerodramus salangana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-throated Needletail
LC

White-throated Needletail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundapus caudacutus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Gray-rumped Treeswift
LC

Gray-rumped Treeswift

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Hemiprocne longipennis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Whiskered Treeswift
LC

Whiskered Treeswift

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Hemiprocne comata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

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 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
25 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
26 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
27 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Insufficient data
28 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
29 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a House Swift in Sepilok?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a House Swift sighting in Sepilok, based on 70 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see House Swift in Sepilok?

August has the highest sighting rate for House Swift in Sepilok in our monthly data.

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