# White-rumped swift

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Not to be confused with [white-rumped swiftlet](/source/White-rumped_swiftlet).

The **white-rumped swift** (***Apus caffer***) is a species of [swift](/source/Swift_(bird)). Although this small [bird](/source/Bird) is superficially similar to a [house martin](/source/Common_house_martin), it is not closely related to that [passerine](/source/Passerine) species. The resemblances between the [swallows](/source/Hirundinidae) and swifts are due to [convergent evolution](/source/Convergent_evolution) reflecting similar life styles.

## Description

This 14–15.5 cm (5.5–6.1 in) long species has, like some relatives, a short forked tail and long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a [boomerang](/source/Boomerang). It is entirely dark except for a pale throat patch and a narrow white rump. It is similar to the closely related little swift, but is slimmer, darker and has a more forked tail and a narrower white rump.

## Call

This is a quiet species compared to little swift, but a twittering trill is sometimes given.

## Habits

Like other swifts they have very short legs that they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces. They never settle voluntarily on the ground, and spend most of their lives in the air, feeding on [insects](/source/Insect) that they catch in their beaks. Like other swifts they drink on the wing.

## Habitat

The habitat of this species is dictated by that of its hosts, and is therefore normally man-made structures such as bridges and buildings.

## Breeding range

White-rumped swifts breed in much of [sub-Saharan](/source/Sahara) [Africa](/source/Africa), and have expanded into [Morocco](/source/Morocco) and southern [Spain](/source/Spain). The populations in Spain, Morocco and the south of Africa are [migratory](/source/Bird_migration), although their wintering grounds are not definitively known. Birds in tropical Africa are resident apart from seasonal movements. In 2022, nesting was observed in Corsica.[1]

## Breeding

This species appropriates the nests of [little swifts](/source/Little_swift) and those swallows which build retort-shaped nests. In Europe and north Africa, this usually means the [red-rumped swallow](/source/Red-rumped_swallow), but south of the Sahara other species like [wire-tailed swallow](/source/Wire-tailed_swallow) are also parasitised. The original owners of the nests are driven away, or the white-rumps settle in the nest and refuse to move. Once occupied, the nest is lined with feathers and saliva, and one or two eggs are laid.

## References

1. ["Bien venu Martinet-cafre!"](https://www.andorin.pt/en/post/bien-venu-martinet-cafre-1). *andorin*. Dec 19, 2022.

## External links

- White-rumped swift - [Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds](http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/415.pdf).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [White-rumped swift](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-rumped_swift) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-rumped_swift?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.