Swifts

The Apodidae, or swifts, form a family of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes along with hummingbirds.

Species in this family

• Ameline Swiftlet Aerodramus amelis
• Mariana Swiftlet Aerodramus bartschi
• Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris
• Seram Swiftlet Aerodramus ceramensis
• Seychelles Swiftlet Aerodramus elaphrus
• Mascarene Swiftlet Aerodramus francicus
• White-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus
• Germain's Swiftlet Aerodramus germani
• Mountain Swiftlet Aerodramus hirundinaceus
• Halmahera Swiftlet Aerodramus infuscatus
• Caroline Islands Swiftlet Aerodramus inquietus
• Tahiti Swiftlet Aerodramus leucophaeus
• Black-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus maximus
• Philippine Swiftlet Aerodramus mearnsi
• Marquesan Swiftlet Aerodramus ocistus
• Palau Swiftlet Aerodramus pelewensis
• Mossy-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus salangana
• Atiu Swiftlet Aerodramus sawtelli
• Sulawesi Swiftlet Aerodramus sororum
• White-rumped Swiftlet Aerodramus spodiopygius
• Australian Swiftlet Aerodramus terraereginae
• Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor
• Uniform Swiftlet Aerodramus vanikorensis
• Volcano Swiftlet Aerodramus vulcanorum
• Whitehead's Swiftlet Aerodramus whiteheadi
• Andean Swift Aeronautes andecolus
• White-tipped Swift Aeronautes montivagus
• White-throated Swift Aeronautes saxatalis
• Dark-rumped Swift Apus acuticauda
• Little Swift Apus affinis
• Cape Verde Swift Apus alexandri
• Common Swift Apus apus
• Malagasy Swift Apus balstoni
• African Swift Apus barbatus
• Forbes-Watson's Swift Apus berliozi
• Bradfield's Swift Apus bradfieldi
• White-rumped Swift Apus caffer
• Cook's Swift Apus cooki
• Horus Swift Apus horus
• Blyth's Swift Apus leuconyx
• Nyanza Swift Apus niansae
• House Swift Apus nipalensis
• Pacific Swift Apus pacificus
• Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
• Salim Ali's Swift Apus salimalii
• Plain Swift Apus unicolor
• Short-tailed Swift Chaetura brachyura
• Chapman's Swift Chaetura chapmani
• Grey-rumped Swift Chaetura cinereiventris
• Pale-rumped Swift Chaetura egregia
• Costa Rican Swift Chaetura fumosa
• Lesser Antillean Swift Chaetura martinica
• Sick's Swift Chaetura meridionalis
• Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
• Band-rumped Swift Chaetura spinicaudus
• Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi
• Plume-toed Swiftlet Collocalia affinis
• Bornean Swiftlet Collocalia dodgei
• Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta
• Ridgetop Swiftlet Collocalia isonota
• Cave Swiftlet Collocalia linchi
• Grey-rumped Swiftlet Collocalia marginata
• Christmas Island Swiftlet Collocalia natalis
• Drab Swiftlet Collocalia neglecta
• Tenggara Swiftlet Collocalia sumbawae
• Pygmy Swiftlet Collocalia troglodytes
• Satin Swiftlet Collocalia uropygialis
• Spot-fronted Swift Cypseloides cherriei
• White-chinned Swift Cypseloides cryptus
• Sooty Swift Cypseloides fumigatus
• White-chested Swift Cypseloides lemosi
• Black Swift Cypseloides niger
• Rothschild's Swift Cypseloides rothschildi
• Great Dusky Swift Cypseloides senex
• White-fronted Swift Cypseloides storeri
• Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
• Malagasy Palm Swift Cypsiurus gracilis
• African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
• White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
• Purple Needletail Hirundapus celebensis
• Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis
• Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus
• Waterfall Swift Hydrochous gigas
• Papuan Spinetail Mearnsia novaeguineae
• Philippine Spinetail Mearnsia picina
• Bat-like Spinetail Neafrapus boehmi
• Cassin's Spinetail Neafrapus cassini
• Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila cayennensis
• Great Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila sanctihieronymi
• Silver-rumped Spinetail Rhaphidura leucopygialis
• Sabine's Spinetail Rhaphidura sabini
• Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus
• Biscutate Swift Streptoprocne biscutata
• Tepui Swift Streptoprocne phelpsi
• Chestnut-collared Swift Streptoprocne rutila
• White-naped Swift Streptoprocne semicollaris
• White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris
• Antillean Palm Swift Tachornis phoenicobia
• Fork-tailed Palm Swift Tachornis squamata
• Mottled Swift Tachymarptis aequatorialis
• Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
• Black Spinetail Telacanthura melanopygia
• Mottled Spinetail Telacanthura ussheri
• Madagascar Spinetail Zoonavena grandidieri
• White-rumped Spinetail Zoonavena sylvatica
• Sao Tome Spinetail Zoonavena thomensis

Lookalikes compared

• African Swift vs African Palm Swift
• Alpine Swift vs African Swift
• Black Swift vs Grey-rumped Swift
• Blyth's Swift vs Asian Palm Swift
• Blyth's Swift vs House Swift
• Bradfield's Swift vs African Palm Swift
• Bradfield's Swift vs Little Swift
• Chestnut-collared Swift vs Costa Rican Swift
• Chestnut-collared Swift vs Grey-rumped Swift
• Chimney Swift vs Common Swift
• Costa Rican Swift vs Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
• Costa Rican Swift vs Vaux's Swift
• Grey-rumped Swift vs Pale-rumped Swift
• Grey-rumped Swift vs White-tipped Swift
• Himalayan Swiftlet vs Alpine Swift
• Himalayan Swiftlet vs Asian Palm Swift
• Himalayan Swiftlet vs Germain's Swiftlet
• Horus Swift vs African Palm Swift
• Mottled Spinetail vs Mottled Swift
• Plain Swift vs Little Swift
• Plain Swift vs Pallid Swift
• Silver-rumped Spinetail vs House Swift
• White-chinned Swift vs White-collared Swift
• White-collared Swift vs Chimney Swift