Apus bradfieldi
The Bradfield's Swift (*Apus bradfieldi*) is a medium-sized swift endemic to the arid and semi-arid regions of Southern Africa, a species that epitomizes aerial mastery. Measuring approximately 16-18 cm in length with a wingspan typically ranging from 38-42 cm, it presents a sleek, sooty-brown plumage, appearing almost uniformly dark in flight, though closer observation reveals slightly paler underparts and a subtle pale throat patch. Its long, slender, scythe-like wings are characteristic of...
Bradfield's Swifts primarily inhabit arid and semi-arid environments, favoring rocky hills, escarpments, cliffs, and mountainous regions for nesting and roosting, typically at elevations ranging from lowlands up to around 2,000 meters.
Bradfield's Swifts are obligate aerial insectivores, feeding exclusively on a wide variety of flying insects, including beetles, flies, winged ants, and moths, which they capture in flight by hawking through the air.
Bradfield's Swifts are highly aerial, spending almost their entire lives in flight and only landing to nest or roost. They are diurnal, typically foraging in large, dynamic flocks during the day, often seen wheeling gracefully over their breeding colonies or across vast plains. Roosting occurs co...
The Bradfield's Swift is endemic to Southern Africa, with its primary distribution encompassing Namibia, western South Africa, southern Angola, and southwestern Botswana. This species is largely resident throughout its range, exhibiting localized movements primarily in response to rainfall patter...
Least Concern
- Bradfield's Swifts are exceptionally adapted to their arid environment, able to spend extended periods in the air without landing, foraging for insects high above the dry landscape. - Like many swifts, they possess specialized feet that are not designed for perching, but rather for clinging ver...