House Swift
Apus nipalensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyApodidae (Swifts)
- GenusApus (Typical Swifts)
- SpeciesApus nipalensis (House Swift)
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 Tangkoko Nature Reserve
Glossy Swiftlet
Collocalia esculenta
Halmahera Swiftlet
Aerodramus infuscatus
Uniform Swiftlet
Aerodramus vanikorensis
Sulawesi Swiftlet
Aerodramus sororum
White-throated Needletail
Hirundapus caudacutus
Asian Palm-Swift
Cypsiurus balasiensis
White-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus fuciphagus
Gray-rumped Treeswift
Hemiprocne longipennis
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a House Swift in Tangkoko Nature Reserve?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a House Swift sighting in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see House Swift in Tangkoko Nature Reserve?
December has the highest sighting rate for House Swift in Tangkoko Nature Reserve in our monthly data.