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African palm swift

 
Animal Encyclopedia: African palm swift

Cypsiurus parvus

SUBFAMILY

Apodinae

TAXONOMY

Cypselus parvus Lichtenstein, 1823, Nubia. Eight subspecies.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Palm swift, Old World palm swift; French: Martinet des Palmes; German: Palmensegler; Spanish: Vencejo Palmero Africano.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

6.1 in (16 cm); 0.4–0.5 oz (10–14 g). One of the smallest African swifts. Pale gray-brown upperparts with head and wings appearing darker; underparts very pale with some streaking on the throat. Males have whiter throats than females.

DISTRIBUTION

Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar.

HABITAT

Local foraging species in open areas in the vicinity of palms; generally forages at low to medium heights.

BEHAVIOR

Close association with palms which provide year-round roosting and nesting sites. Vocalizations a soft high-pitched scream.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Aerial arthropods, including diverse small insects and spiders, as well as winged ants, termites, and beetles.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Nests are small elongate pads of plant floss and feathers glued to the surface of hanging palm fronds. Clutch sizes are usually one or two eggs, rarely three. Incubation is typically 20 days. Chicks grow slowly and fledge after a period of 31–33 days.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Plantings of both native and exotic palms in suburban areas has resulted in a stable population.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.

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Animal Encyclopedia. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2005 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more