
Little Swift
The little swift (Apus affinis), is a small bird, superficially similar to a barn swallow or house martin.
Species insights
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Curve from 841 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Little Swift is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
841 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Little Swift
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa and 1 other
From R 1,760 a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Nama-Karoo biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,200 a night
Little Swift recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Little Swift recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Little Swift recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Little Swift recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Little Swift recorded here · Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,460 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Giraffe · Impala
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 485 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Bushbuck
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
From R 2,600 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 1,050 a night
From R 12,950 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Black wildebeest · Blesbok
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,592 a night
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 3,100 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Lion · Spekboom
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 4,000 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 2,000 a night
Birder friendly · Grassland biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 600 a night
Forest biome · Arum lily · Krantz aloe
From R 457 a night
Grassland biome · Black wildebeest · Springbok
From R 449 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Spekboom
From R 2,093 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wilderness Foundation Africa
Price on request
Albany Thicket biome · Black backed jackal · Spotted hyena
From R 1,490 a night
Albany Thicket biome · Blesbok · Springbok
From R 345 a night
Nama-Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Boundless
Price on request
Forests, lagoons, and Knysna's sheltered bay
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Little Swift
Hosts have recorded the Little Swift at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.
Best hours of the day
- The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
- Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.
Ways to look
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Apus affinis
Records
841
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Little Swift on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Little Swift in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Little Swift at stays in or beside Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Little Swift in South Africa?
The Little Swift is most recorded in Western Cape (24% of records), Mpumalanga (24% of records), Limpopo (17% of records), based on 841 iNaturalist observations. 7 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Little Swift on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Little Swift?
The Little Swift is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Little Swift?
The little swift (Apus affinis), is a small bird, superficially similar to a barn swallow or house martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles.
























