White-rumped Swift recorded in Algeria for the first time this summer. Now the quest for evidence of breeding begins.
In mid-August 2026, naturalist Mourad Harzallah observed two White-rumped Swifts (Apus caffer) in eastern Algeria. This is the first known record of the species in Algeria.
The observation of two individuals could be what makes this discovery even more interesting. As the observer pointed out, the birds may have been passing through or making exploratory movements, but the possibility of a more permanent presence, or even breeding, cannot be ruled out.
The White-rumped Swift is characterized by dark plumage, white throat patch, narrow white rump, and deeply forked tail. These last two features distinguish it from the Little Swift (Apus affinis), the only species with which it is likely to be confused in the Mediterranean region. [At least for now, the Horus Swift (Apus horus) is another story].
The species is primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa, but has expanded its range northward in recent decades, establishing breeding populations in Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula since the 1960s.
This species does not build its own nest and is sometimes described as a “nest parasite” (unrelated, of course, to cuckoo nest parasitism!). It frequently uses old nests of the Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica), but may also take over occupied swallow nests, displacing the current occupants.
Part of a recent expansion in the central Mediterranean
The presence of the White-rumped Swift in Algeria is in line with the species’ apparent ongoing expansion in the central Mediterranean. In addition to its long-established presence in Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula, recent main observations in the region are:
- Continetal Italy: first breeding recorded in Calabria in 2020 (Pucci et al. 2022).
- Corsica: first nesting recorded in 2022 (Seguin 2023). The species has also been observed in continental France before and after this date.
- Tunisia: the species has become more regular in autumn in recent years. However, nesting has not yet been confirmed, despite searching in suitable habitats during the breeding season (information shared by Ridha Ouni; an article on these observations is expected soon).
The species’ expansion appears to be linked, at least in part, to the availability of suitable nesting sites provided by the Red-rumped Swallow, whose range has also expanded in the region.
This new observation in Algeria therefore adds another country to the known Mediterranean range of the White-rumped Swift. Further observations will be needed to determine whether the species is only present temporarily or whether it has begun to establish itself permanently as a breeder in the country.
References:
Pucci, M., Candelise, G. & Storino, P. 2022. Prima nidificazione di Rondone cafro Apus caffer in Italia. Alula 29 (1-2): 140‑143.
Seguin J.-F. 2023. Le Martinet cafre Apus caffer nicheur en Corse en 2022 : une nouvelle espèce pour la France. Ornithos 30-2: 78-81.