C IUCN · LC · Least Concern Apodiformes Apodidae

African Black Swift

Apus barbatus

CIOC 776

African Black Swift

Apus barbatus

Apodiformes · Apodidae

African Black Swift (Apus barbatus).

ATK68

DEF43

Wikimedia Commons · WC115068835 · JMK · CC BY-SA 4.0

765 / 11068

Play in Gacha Battle ↗

Illustration · not to scale

Body length: 16–18 cm
Body Mass: 42.8 g
Diet: Invertebrates
Migration: Partially migratory

⚔️ Ecological Combat Rationale

ATK 68

Ecomorphologically adapted beak and agile strike momentum tailored to its foraging competition niche (ATK 68).

DEF 43

Lightweight agility and protective plumage camouflage favoring rapid evasive maneuverability over raw armor (DEF 43).

* These descriptions interpret game abilities, not measured physical strength. Generated scores use body mass, rarity and balancing rules; legacy cards retain manual values.

How to identify

Detailed field marks are not yet available. Use the linked sources to confirm an identification.

Similar species

Species-specific comparison notes are not yet available. Related birds below are not necessarily lookalikes.

Calls & songs

JMK · Sources & credits

🌍 Range & Habitat

Distribution: Africa: Southern & Eastern Habitat: Rocky slopes & Alpine

7 · Subspecies & regional ranges

Apus barbatus glanvillei
Sierra Leone
Apus barbatus serlei
w Cameroon (Bamenda)
Apus barbatus sladeniae
sw Nigeria, w Cameroon (Mt Kupe), w Angola and Bioko
Apus barbatus roehli
e Ethiopia through Kenya and Uganda to ne Angola, e DR Congo and Malawi
Apus barbatus hollidayi
Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe)
Apus barbatus oreobates
Zimbabwe to Mozambique
Apus barbatus barbatus
South Africa