Cypsiurus

{{short description|Genus of birds}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = African Palm Swift in flight.jpg

| image_caption = African palm swift

| taxon = Cypsiurus

| authority = Lesson, RP, 1843

| type_species = Cypselus ambrosiacus{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/checklist?viewfamilies=78 |title= Apodidae |author= |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 23 June 2025}}

| type_species_authority = Temminck, 1828

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision =

C. balasiensis

C. parvus

C. gracilis

}}

Cypsiurus is a genus of the swift family of birds.

There are three species, which were formerly considered to be conspecific due to their similarity:

• Asian palm swift, Cypsiurus balasiensis
• African palm swift, Cypsiurus parvus
• Malagasy palm swift, Cypsiurus gracilis

They have mainly pale brown plumage and long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. The body is slender, and the tail is long and deeply forked, although it is usually held closed. The sexes are similar, and young birds differ from adults mainly in their shorter tails. Palm swifts have very short legs which they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces, since swifts never settle voluntarily on the ground.

These swifts spend most of their lives in the air, living on flying insects. Palm swifts often feed near the ground, and they drink on the wing.