Common Swift vs Hector’s Beaked Whale

Apus apus compared with Mesoplodon hectori

Key Differences

• Common Swift is Least Concern while Hector’s Beaked Whale is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Swift	Hector’s Beaked Whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Apodidae	Hyperoodontidae
Genus	Apus	Mesoplodon
Species	Apus apus	Mesoplodon hectori

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Swift and Hector’s Beaked Whale share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Common Swift

LC — Least Concern

Hector’s Beaked Whale

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Swift	Hector’s Beaked Whale
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Swift

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Hector’s Beaked Whale

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Swift

Common Swift (Apus apus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.