Malagasy Black Swift (Apus balstoni)
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Malagasy Black Swift

Apus balstoni (Bartlett, E, 1880)

43 gWeight

The Malagasy black swift (Apus balstoni) or Madagascar swift, is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar, Mayotte, Comoros

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar, Mayotte, Comoros

Malagasy Black Swift has been recorded at 31 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ranomafana NPMadagascar202 records
  2. Ifaty – spiny forest reservesMadagascar148 records
  3. Zombitse-Vohibasia NPMadagascar119 records
More places
  1. Parc de TsarasaotraMadagascar115 records
  2. Le Relais de la Reine/Le Jardin du RoyMadagascar63 records
  3. Ranomafana NP—Sahamalaotra TrackMadagascar62 records
  4. Ranomafana NP – VariboloMadagascar53 records
  5. Ranomafana NP – VohipararaMadagascar52 records
  6. Andasibe-Mantadia NPMadagascar52 records
  7. Andasibe Mantadia National ParkMadagascar34 records

Countries and regions with the most records

MadagascarMayotteComoros

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 Malagasy black swift (Apus balstoni) or Madagascar swift, is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

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

Questions

How big is the Malagasy Black Swift?

The Malagasy Black Swift weighs around 43 g.

Where does the Malagasy Black Swift live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Comoros and Madagascar. It is most often recorded in Madagascar, Mayotte and Comoros.

When is the best time to see the Malagasy Black Swift?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Malagasy Black Swift endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Malagasy Black Swift as Least Concern.

What does the Malagasy Black Swift eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Malagasy Black Swift in?

It belongs to the family Swifts (Apodidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Weight
43 g
Habitat
Rocky terrain
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
161 mm
Tail
71 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
11 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Comoros and Madagascar

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Apus

Other birds in the genus Apus

Cape Verde SwiftCape Verde SwiftApus alexandriCommon SwiftCommon SwiftApus apusPlain SwiftPlain SwiftApus unicolorNyanza SwiftNyanza SwiftApus niansaePallid SwiftPallid SwiftApus pallidusAfrican Black SwiftAfrican Black SwiftApus barbatusForbes-Watson's SwiftForbes-Watson's SwiftApus berlioziBradfield's SwiftBradfield's SwiftApus bradfieldiPacific SwiftPacific SwiftApus pacificusBlyth's SwiftBlyth's SwiftApus leuconyxCook's SwiftCook's SwiftApus cookiDark-rumped SwiftDark-rumped SwiftApus acuticauda
Malagasy Black Swift

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Paul van Giersbergen. ↗

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