Bates's Swift

Apus batesi (Sharpe, 1904)

Bates's Swift, Apus batesi, is a swift of western and central Africa, breeding from Sierra Leone to Ivory Coast and from Cameroon to Gabon. It is a rainforest bird associated with places near cliffs and crags. The bird is small and slender, with a deeply forked tail that is often kept shut so it looks pointed. Its plumage is glossy black, with a faint pale area on the throat. It is usually silent, though a high-pitched trill has been noted near the nest.

Order

Apodiformes

Family

Apodidae — Swifts

Breeding range

Africa: Sierra Leone to Ivory Coast; Cameroon to Gabon