• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species is known only from a few specimen and sight records, and there is no information on the true extent of its distribution, population size or trends. Until further information is available on the species' status, it is classified as Data Deficient.

Population justification
The population size of this species has not been quantified; it is known from only 10 records.

Trend justification
The population trend is unknown as the species is only known from very few records and very little is known about its ecology.

Apus sladeniae is known from the Bakossi Mountains in west Cameroon (one record only), Mt Moco in Angola (Traylor 1960, Brooke 1970, da Rosa Pinto 1983), and is probably only vagrant to south-east Nigeria (one record only) (Elgood 1981, P. Hall in litt. 2016). It is also known from Bioko, Equatorial Guinea, where six specimens were collected in 1903, but with no subsequent records (Pérez del Val 1996). There is a possible sighting (requiring confirmation) of c.10 birds at Moca in Monte Alen National Park in January 1998 - the first record for mainland Equatorial Guinea (Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett 1999a). It has been suggested that the species breeds on Bioko and visits the mainland during the non-breeding season, but its true status (including its taxonomic position relating to African Swift A. barbatus) remains uncertain.

It is probably primarily a mountain species.

Unknown, but may be threatened by forest loss in part or all of its range.

Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Clarify taxonomic position relating to African Swift A. barbatus and identity of birds in northern Liberia. Survey mountainous areas near locations of historical records, although field identification to separate from A. barbatus may not be possible (M. Mills in litt. 2016). Attempt to clarify its movements and ecological requirements.

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Bird, J., Butchart, S., Khwaja, N., Shutes, S., Symes, A. & Westrip, J.

Contributors
Mills, M. & Hall, P.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Apus sladeniae. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/fernando-po-swift-apus-sladeniae on 21/09/2023. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org on 21/09/2023.