Page 253 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SWIFTS
Order Apodiformes Family Apodidae Species Apus melba
Alpine Swift wings swept back
in fast glide
broad-based
wings with long,
scythe-like tips
dark brown
breast-band
white belly

short, well-
forked tail
dark under
tail

white underside
IN FLIGHT white chin
and throat,
difficult to
see
FLIGHT: strong, powerful, sweeping flight; easy,
graceful beats of stiff, scythe-like wings.
he Alpine Swift is a uniquely large and powerful
Tswift in Europe. It likes cliffs in mountainous areas
but is not always found at high altitude, breeding in
many lower, deeply incised ravines and in tall buildings in
towns and old villages. It often mixes
with other swift species and Crag STRONG FLIER
In silhouette, an Alpine Swift may
Martins and is frequently seen in the momentarily recall a Hobby.
air with choughs (see pp.366–7). It
is not always easy to judge size, so
silhouette views are not necessarily
adequate to identify possible Alpine
Swifts out of their usual range: the
possibility of partly white Swifts
should also be borne in mind.
VOICE Loud chorus of Greenfinch-
like trills, rising and falling and changing in speed and pitch, tititititi-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti ti ti.
NESTING Shallow cup of grass and stems in cavity in building or cliff; 2 or 3 eggs;
1 brood;April–June.
FEEDING Exclusively aerial, catching insects in air in open mouth.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Summer visitor and breeder in
SWIFT HOBBY CRAG MARTIN S Europe north to Alps. Over all
see p.249 similar shape; less scythe-winged;
see p.142 see p.274 kinds of open country, especially
hill towns, cliffs, and gorges, from
sea level to high hills, between
smaller and April and September. Rarely strays
slimmer much smaller north in spring.
white neck Seen in the UK
patch JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 20–23cm (8–9in) Wingspan 51–58cm (20–23in) Weight 75–100g (2 5 ⁄8 –3 5 ⁄8oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Secure†
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