Malagasy Palm Swift (Cypsiurus gracilis)
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Malagasy Palm Swift

Cypsiurus gracilis (Sharpe, 1871)

14 gWeight

The Malagasy palm swift (Cypsiurus gracilis) is a small swift in the family Apodidae.

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

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Malagasy Palm Swift has been recorded at 36 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ranomafana NPMadagascar448 records
  2. Le Relais de la Reine/Le Jardin du RoyMadagascar335 records
  3. Zombitse-Vohibasia NPMadagascar179 records
More places
  1. Ranomafana NP – VariboloMadagascar177 records
  2. Ankarafantsika NPMadagascar132 records
  3. Ankarafantsika NP – Lac RavelobeMadagascar112 records
  4. Andasibe-Mantadia NPMadagascar92 records
  5. PerinetMadagascar66 records
  6. Ranomafana NP – VohipararaMadagascar64 records
  7. Ifaty – spiny forest reservesMadagascar61 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 palm swift (Cypsiurus gracilis) is a small swift in the family Apodidae. It is very similar to the African palm swift, Cypsiurus parvus, with which it was formerly considered conspecific. It was split based on differences in vocalizations and plumage coloration.

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

Questions

How big is the Malagasy Palm Swift?

The Malagasy Palm Swift weighs around 14 g.

Where does the Malagasy Palm 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 Palm Swift?

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

Is the Malagasy Palm Swift endangered?

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

What does the Malagasy Palm Swift eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Malagasy Palm Swift in?

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

At a glance

Weight
14 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
124 mm
Tail
84 mm
Bill
6 mm
Tarsus
12 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
Cypsiurus

Other birds in the genus Cypsiurus

African Palm SwiftAfrican Palm SwiftCypsiurus parvusAsian Palm SwiftAsian Palm SwiftCypsiurus balasiensisSpot-fronted SwiftSpot-fronted SwiftCypseloides cherrieiWhite-chinned SwiftWhite-chinned SwiftCypseloides cryptusWhite-fronted SwiftWhite-fronted SwiftCypseloides storeriSooty SwiftSooty SwiftCypseloides fumigatusRothschild's SwiftRothschild's SwiftCypseloides rothschildiAmerican Black SwiftAmerican Black SwiftCypseloides nigerWhite-chested SwiftWhite-chested SwiftCypseloides lemosiGreat Dusky SwiftGreat Dusky SwiftCypseloides senex
Malagasy Palm Swift

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

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