House Swift

Apus nipalensis (Hodgson, 1837)

14–16 cmLength12–14 cmWingspan30 gWeight

This black swift has a white rump band, a white throat patch and a slightly forked tail.

Busiest months: April, October and December · Most records: China, Thailand, Malaysia

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

A single white band across the rump
A white patch on the throat
Black feathers, darker than those of close relatives
Dark, slightly forked tail

Voice

“ti-ti-ti-tititrrrrrr”, along with many other calls.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April, October and December · Most records: China, Thailand, Malaysia

House Swift has been recorded at 1,295 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)2,644 records
Kenting NP – Sheding Lingxiao Pavilion (Raptors Observation Spot)Taiwan (China)1,668 records
Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)1,655 records

More places

Nantou – Puli Tzuchi FoundationTaiwan (China)1,262 records
Nantou – Jiji Endemic Species Research InstituteTaiwan (China)1,033 records
Bukit FraserMalaysia829 records
Long ValleyHong Kong (China)775 records
Aogu Wetland IBATaiwan (China)640 records
San TinHong Kong (China)606 records
Taipei – Beitou Guizikeng Drainage CanalTaiwan (China)595 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Thailand Malaysia Singapore Nepal Bangladesh Indonesia Vietnam

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The house swift (Apus affinis nipalensis) is a subspecies of the little 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia