African Black Swift (Apus barbatus) [XC392306]
by Lynette Rudman from Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa (call)
African Black Swift (Apus barbatus) [XC413388]
by julien Birard from Mossel Bay, South Cape DC, Western Cape, South Africa (flight call)
Subspecies
Apus barbatus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into African Swift (Apus barbatus) and Fernando Po Swift (Apus sladeniae) following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993). Madagascar Swift (Apus balstoni) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) is retained as a separate species contra Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) who include balstoni as a subspecies of African Swift (Apus barbatus).
Forms superspecies with Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus), Forbes-Watson's Swift (Apus berliozi) and Bradfield's Swift (Apus bradfieldi). Has been considered conspecific with Common Swift (Apus apus) and also with Plain Swift (Apus unicolor) and Nyanza Swift (Apus niansae). Subspecies sladeniae and balstoni (possibly with mayottensis) sometimes treated as two further distinct species. It has been suggested that if subspecies hollidayi can remain a distinct breeding population despite presence of migratory nominate subspecies during local breeding season, then it may prove to be a separate species. Current knowledge about taxonomic status of glanvillei, sladeniae and serlei to some extent compromised by scarcity of specimens. Racial identity of population resident in northern Liberia unknown, but may prove to be sladeniae. In contrast, sladeniae might even be applicable only to birds of Bioko.
The following 9 subspecies are recognised:
glanvillei Benson, 1967 - Sierra Leone.
sladeniae (Ogilvie-Grant, 1904) - South-western Nigeria, western Cameroon, western Angola and Bioko. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Fernando Po Swift (Apus sladeniae).
serlei De Roo, 1970 - Western Cameroon (Bamenda).
roehli Reichenow, 1906 - Eastern Ethiopia, north-eastern Uganda and Kenya to Malawi and eastern Zaire. Also Sombo in north-eastern Angola.
hollidayi Benson & Irwin, 1960 - Victoria Falls, on Zambia/Zimbabwe border.
oreobates Brooke, 1970 - Melsettwe to Mashonaland (Zimbabwe) and Mt Gorongoza (Mozambique).
barbatus (Sclater, 1865) - South Africa, and may occur western into mountainous areas of Namibia; wintering grounds unknown.
mayottensis (Nicoll, 1906) - Comoro Is. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Madagascar Swift (Apus balstoni).
balstoni (Bartlett, 1880) - Madagascar region. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Madagascar Swift (Apus balstoni).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet