Apus barbatus (P.L.Sclater, 1866)

Taxonomy and Naming

The African black swift (scientific name Apus barbatus), also called the African swift or black swift, is a medium-sized bird that belongs to the swift family.

Breeding Range

It breeds across Africa in a discontinuous range that extends south from Liberia, Cameroon, Zaire, Uganda and Kenya to South Africa.

Related Population Classification

Populations of "black swifts" found in Madagascar and the Comoros are classified either as two subspecies of the African black swift, or as a separate full species called the Malagasy black swift.

Breeding Habitat

This species' breeding habitat is damp mountain areas, most commonly between 1,600 and 2,400 m (5,200 and 7,900 ft) elevation, and it occurs less often at lower altitudes.

Feeding and Flocking Behavior

African black swifts feed readily over lowland terrain, can gather in very large flocks, and often associate with other social swift species.