Little Swift
Little SwiftLittle SwiftLittle SwiftLittle Swift

Little Swift

Apus affinis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · With luck
overall probability at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
500 Verified records at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The little swift (Apus affinis) is a small species of swift found in Africa and southwestern Asia, and are vagrants and local breeders in southern Europe. They are found both in urban areas and at rocky cliffs where they build nests in a way typical of all members of the order Apodiformes. The genus name Apus is Latin for a swift, thought by the ancients to be a type of swallow without feet (from Ancient Greek α, a, "without", and πούς, pous, "foot"). The Latin specific affinis means similar to or related to, but in this case the species that the little swift supposedly resembles is not clear from the description. A population formerly considered to be an eastern subspecies of little swift is now separated as a distinct species, the house swift (Apus nipalensis). Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Little Swift sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 500 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

White-rumped Swift
LC

White-rumped Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus caffer

10–20% · With luck
Common Swift
LC

Common Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus apus

<5% · Rare
Nyanza Swift
LC

Nyanza Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus niansae

<5% · Rare
African Swift
LC

African Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus barbatus

<5% · Rare
Horus Swift
LC

Horus Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Apus horus

<5% · Rare
African Palm-Swift
LC

African Palm-Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cypsiurus parvus

10–20% · With luck
Mottled Swift
LC

Mottled Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachymarptis aequatorialis

<5% · Rare
Scarce Swift
LC

Scarce Swift

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Schoutedenapus myoptilus

<5% · Rare
Alpine Swift
LC

Alpine Swift

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Tachymarptis melba

<5% · Rare
Mottled Spinetail
LC

Mottled Spinetail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Telacanthura ussheri

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
20–30
Feb
10–20
Mar
30–40
Apr
20–30
May
20–30
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
5–10
Sep
5–10
Oct
20–30
Nov
20–30
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
2 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
3 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
4 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
5 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
6 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
30–40%
7 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
8 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
9 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
20–30%
10 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
20–30%
11 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
12 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
13 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
14 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
15 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
16 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
17 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
20–30%
18 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
19 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
20 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
21 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
22 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
23 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
24 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
25 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
10–20%
26 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
27 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
28 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
29 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
30 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
31 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
32 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
10–20%
33 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
34 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
35 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
36 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
37 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
10–20%
38 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
39 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
40 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
41 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
10–20%
42 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
43 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
5–10%
44 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
45 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
46 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
47 Berenty Reserve 🇲🇬 Madagascar
5–10%
48 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
49 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
50 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
51 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
5–10%
52 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
53 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
5–10%
54 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
55 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
56 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
57 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
5–10%
58 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
59 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
60 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
61 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
<5%
62 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
63 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
64 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
65 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
66 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
<5%
67 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
68 Taï National Park 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
Insufficient data
69 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
70 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
71 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
72 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
73 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Little Swift in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Little Swift sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 500 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Little Swift in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

April has the highest sighting rate for Little Swift in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.

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