Common swift Apus apus

Features

If we do not know the common swift yet, we can mistake it for a barn swallow or a house martin. We can distinguish it from the two by its longer, narrower and more sickle-shaped wings. The common swift is also larger and has a smaller and larger head compared to swallows.

Species	Bird
Living space
Size	17 - 18,5 cm
Weight	38 g

Description

We distinguish the common swift from the swallows by its dark lower part of the body (only the throat is lighter in colour), a larger size of the body and the sickle-shaped wings. It reaches 17 to 18.5 cm in length and has a wingspan of between 40 and 44 cm. It is most similar to the related pallid swift, which is only slightly brighter and has a noticeable contrast between its flight and down feathers on the wings. Like other swifts, the common swift also has very short legs, unsuitable for sitting on the branch or walking on the ground, so it practically spends all its life in the air. It hunts for its prey, insects, up to 1 km or more above the ground. It can even sleep or mate in the air. The couple stays together for a lifetime; they often build their nest in the vicinity of human settlements – in wall cavities, ventilation shafts, under projecting roofs, in church bell towers, etc. – and they return to it year after year. In Slovenia, the common swift is a common nesting bird.