Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be common to locally abundant (del Hoyo et al. 1999).
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be increasing owing to a range expansion caused primarily by the planting of the exotic Washington palm.
The species is distributed widely across sub-Saharan Africa and south-west Arabia.
The species is associated with palms in arid and mesic savannah, forest clearings, and towns (Fry et al. 1988).
Text account compilers
Smith, D., Ekstrom, J., Butchart, S.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/african-palm-swift-cypsiurus-parvus on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.