Editing Little swift

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Little swift
| image = Little swift, Apus affinis, at Kruger National Park, South Africa, crop.jpg
| image2 = Apus affinis, swerm sirkel oor Austin Roberts-vr, Pta, a.mp3
| image2_caption = In South Africa
| range_map =ApusAffinisDistribution.png
| range_map_caption = <br/>{{legend0|#00FF32|Summer|border=solid 1px black}} {{legend0|#009865|Resident|border=solid 1px black}}<ref>{{cite book|title=A Guide to the Swifts and Tree Swifts of the World|year=2000|publisher=[[Pica Press]]|isbn=1-873403-83-6|author=Phil Chantler|author2=Gerald Driessens|name-list-style=amp}}</ref>
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Apus affinis'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22686856A89562931 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22686856A89562931.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| taxon = Apus affinis
| authority = ([[John Edward Gray|JE Gray]], 1830)
}}

The '''little swift''' ('''''Apus affinis'''''), is a small species of [[Swift (bird)|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.<ref name=job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher= Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n35 35], 52}}</ref> A population formerly considered to be an eastern subspecies of little swift is now separated as a distinct species, the [[house swift]] ([[House swift|''Apus nipalensis'']]).

==Description==
Little swifts are readily identified by their small size. Their wingspan is only 33&nbsp;cm compared to 42&nbsp;cm in the case of [[common swift]]. Their plumage is black except for a white throat and rump, the white rump patch extending onto the flanks. They have a short square tail, with all rectrices round-tipped. The flight is fluttering like that of a [[Common house martin|house martin]], and the call is a high twittering. Like other swifts they are very short-legged. The legs are used for clinging to vertical surfaces only.

==Habits and foraging==
Little swifts spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their beaks. They drink on the wing, but roost on vertical cliffs or walls. They never settle voluntarily on the ground.

==Movements==
Unlike the more northerly [[common swift]], many birds are resident, but some populations are [[bird migration|migratory]], and these winter further south than their breeding areas. They wander widely on migration, and are seen as rare vagrants in much of Europe and Asia.

==Breeding==
Little swifts breed around habitation and cliffs from southern Spain,<ref>BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Apus affinis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13/10/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13/10/2013.</ref> Africa northeastwards through southern Pakistan and India and Sri Lanka. They build their nests in holes in buildings or sometimes on cliffs, laying 1–4 eggs. A little swift will return to the same site year after year, rebuilding its nest when necessary. A species of bedbug ''[[Cimex hemipterus]]'' has been recorded from its nest in India.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Horvath G| year=1912 |title=Revision of the American Cimicidae| journal= Ann. Hist. Nat. Mus. Hungary|volume=10| pages=257–262}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Checklist and bibliography on the occurrence of insects in birds' nests |author=Hicks, Ellis A|year= 1959|publisher=Iowa State College Press, Ames| url=https://archive.org/details/checklistbibliog00hick}}</ref>

== Status ==
This species has a wide distribution and its population is increasing, and as a result is classified as "[[Least-concern species|Least Concern]]" by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Little Swift (Apus affinis) {{!}} Text {{!}} BirdLife International |url=https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/little-swift-apus-affinis/text |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=datazone.birdlife.org}}</ref>

The population of the species is expanding and increasing, mainly due to its tendency to build nests in man-made structures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apus affinis (Little swift) |url=https://www.biodiversityexplorer.info/birds/apodidae/apus_affinis.htm |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=www.biodiversityexplorer.info}}</ref> However, in Turkey  a local decline of about 50% was observed due to habitat loss resulting from dam construction.<ref name=":0" />

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
House swift I IMG 3260.jpg|Dorsal view in India – displaying the square, white rump patch
Little Swift (Apus affinis) (45852783664).jpg|A flock assembling at dusk in Tanzania
House Swift (Apus affinis) at nest in Hyderabad, AP W2 IMG 0192.jpg|Nesting in [[Hyderabad]], India
Apus affinis galilejensis MHNT ZOO 2011 11 189 RdN Guinée-Bissau.jpg|Eggs of ''Apus affinis ''
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Apus affinis|''Apus affinis''}}
*{{Wikispecies-inline|Apus affinis|''Apus affinis''}}
*{{field guide birds of the world|Apus affinis|''Apus affinis''}}
*{{Avibase|name=Apus affinis}}
* Little swift  - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/417.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds].

{{Taxonbar|from=Q611324}}

[[Category:Apus (genus)|little swift]]
[[Category:Birds of Africa]]
[[Category:Birds of South Asia]]
[[Category:Birds of West Asia]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1830|little swift]]
[[Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray|little swift]]