Page 251 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SWIFTS
Order Apodiformes Family Apodidae Species Apus apus
Swift
looks all-black
against sky
whitish
all-dark body chin
becomes browner
fine short head in late summer
whitish with almost
feather no bill
edges

ADULT
wings curved in
scythe shape,
sharply pointed
ADULT
JUVENILE

IN FLIGHT
ADULT
deeply forked
tail
FLIGHT: often slow, direct with long glides between
flurries of deep wingbeats, wings very rigid; also faster
dashing flights in groups with flickering wingbeats.
o other bird is more aerial than the Swift. Immature Swifts may
Nspend three years aloft before returning to breed: like seabirds,
they come to land only to breed. Swifts appear in Europe late in
spring and depart for Africa early in autumn. Flocks fly very high or HIDDEN NESTER
at rooftop level; they are never seen perching on wires or clinging Swifts nest deep inside holes, mostly in older buildings,
to walls or roofs like martins or swallows.Their scythe-like wings rarely now in cliffs.
and loud, screaming calls make
identification simple, but Pallid Swifts in
southern Europe complicate the matter.
VOICE Loud, screeching, shrill screams
from flocks, shrreeee, sirrr.
NESTING Feather-lined cavity in
building, more rarely in cliff; 2 or 3 eggs;
1 brood; May–June. SCREAMING PARTIES
FEEDING Entirely aerial, taking flying Feeding Swifts fly much more slowly than may be
insects in bill. thought, but noisy, chasing groups are genuinely fast.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Widespread in summer except in
Iceland; arrives late and leaves
PALLID SWIFT SWALLOW early. Feeds over any kind of open
see p.250 see p.275
area, including towns, villages,
white belly and some larger S European cities,
blue above
pale but needs old civic buildings and
larger below housing for nesting, usually
white
slightly throat larger excluded from new developments.
paler
ALPINE SWIFT very different Seen in the UK
see p.251 shape J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 16–17cm (6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 42–48cm (16 1 ⁄2 –19in) Weight 36–50g (1 1 ⁄4 –1 3 ⁄4oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Secure
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