The Nyanza swift (''Apus niansae'') is a species of

swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIF ...

in the family

Apodidae The Apodidae, or swifts, form a family of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes along with hummingbirds. The treeswifts ar ...

. It is found in

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

, and

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

Identification

The Nyanza swift, also known as the brown swift, is a medium sized bird with sleek wings, along with a small and compact head. It has a short, forked tail, blunt rectrices, and small coverts. In contrast with its head and torso, the Nyanza swift’s outer wings are pale brown along with a pale throat. In the field, the Nyanza swift is commonly unseen and hard to identify without a good view or clear picture. It is commonly spotted in the rainy season and scarce during dry parts of the year. The anatomy of the Nyanza swift is not well known.

Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies * ''Apus niansae niansas'' * ''Apus niansa somalicus''

Habitat

The Nyanza swift can be found in areas of high elevation, gorges, cliff faces, and human settlements like cities and towns. It has been spotted in places such as

, Western

, Eastern

, Western

, and Northern

. The Nyanza swift uses wet areas to search for sources of food and can rarely be found in lowland areas.

Migration

The Nyanza swift has been recorded from March to September in North Somalia as a partially migratory bird. It is also a terrestrial bird that has been seen during the rainy season from February to April and June to September within the Addis Ababa colonies. Depending on its habitat, the Nyanza swift can be residential and populations from

are believed to be wintering birds.

Diet and activity

The Nyanza swift is a scavenger bird, which feeds on other dead animals. It also consumes bugs and insects such as flies, beetles, and bees. The Nyanza swift is most active in the early mornings near dawn, and seen one to two hours before sunset, feeding throughout the day. When nesting activity presents itself among the Nyanza swift, it stays after throughout the day, rather than strictly at dawn or dusk.

Breeding

The Nyanza swift nests in colonies around steep rocky regions, gorges, cliff faces, among tall buildings, and under house eaves in air vents. It commonly nests during two periods of rainy seasons with June through September being the most optimal season and February through April, which is a less uncommon time. The Nyanza swift builds its nest using feathers, grass, and saliva. If it cannot find enough material for its nest, the Nyanza swift will sometimes use mud and concrete fragments. After its eggs have been laid, the Nyanza swift’s incubation period is nineteen days at minimum.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q902098 Nyanza swift Birds of the Horn of Africa Nyanza swift Taxonomy articles created by Polbot