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Pallid Swift
(Apus pallidus)
Size: 16-17 cm; wing span 42-48 cm
Weight: 33-60 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Pallid Swifts are medium-sized swifts.
Their plumage is
all dark-grey, except a light-grey throat patch and mid-grey
flight feathers. The entire body plumage has a slight brownish
hue and also thin light-grey
edges, leading to a finely scalloped appearance when seen
close-up. Swifts, as the name suggests, are fast fliers;
accordingly, their wings have the shape of a backward-bent sickle,
which - together with the relatively short, prominently forked
tail - distinguishes them from swallows. In-flight the very short
legs are invisible.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Pallid Swifts are difficult to distinguish from Common Swifts. They are overall
a bit more brownish and chunkier, with slightly lighter-grey
flight feathers and a larger throat patch.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Pallid
Swift at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Pallid Swift is available
HERE
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Pallid Swifts are a migratory species.
They are found basically all around the Mediterranean coastline
and also the Canary islands and Madeira. Their breeding range
includes basically all of Greece, the coastline of most of Asia
Minor, the eastern Mediterranean coastline, into Egypt and
eastwards to the Arabian peninsula.
Sometimes they are also found along the European North Sea and
Baltic Sea coastlines.
They winter in the valley of the river Nile and in Africa to the
South of the Sahara desert.
Apart from a few inland patches, Pallid Swifts are mostly
found along the northern coastline of Arabia, in particular
northern Oman around the Muscat area and Musandam, into
the eastern UAE.
During the breeding season Pallid Swifts will be found near
suitable nest sites (rockfaces, cliffs), in the vicinity of
good hunting grounds (preferably near the sea).
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
We have spotted a Pallid Swift flying over a dry riverbed (wadi)
near Qurm, Oman, in December 2009.
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Photos |
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Although we were not able to obtain a photo in Oman, photos of
Pallid Swifts are available from
Europe.
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Food, Diet |
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Like other swifts, Pallid Swifts are insect hunters. They catch
and devour their prey in-flight.
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Pallid Swift sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
are welcome.