Common Swift
Apus apus
Swifts are capable of staying airborne for up to ten months at a time, performing all life functions—including sleeping and mating—while in flight.
- Scientific name
- Apus apus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Apodiformes › Apodidae › Apus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- urban
- Habitat
- Aerial airspace; nests in crevices of old buildings, towers, and cliffs.
- Diet
- Aerial plankton, including flying insects and small spiders caught mid-air.
- Range
- Europe, Asia, Africa
- Size
- Length of 16-17 cm with a wingspan of 42-48 cm.
- Lifespan
- 7-10 years on average; some individuals reach over 20 years.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of nesting sites due to modern building renovations and the decline of insect populations from pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. If found on the ground, they often cannot take off due to their long wings and short legs. Do not throw them into the air; instead, place them in a dark, ventilated box and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator immediately.
The common swift ( Apus apus ) is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barn swallow or house martin but somewhat larger, though not stemming from those passerine species, being in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution, reflecting similar contextual development. The swifts' nearest relatives are thought to be the New World hummingbirds and the Southeast Asian treeswifts.
Photo: Константин Селивёрстов, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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