Common Swift

birds · flying masters · insects · speedy

Built for speed. Common swifts are incredibly fast fliers that zoom through the air at amazing speeds to catch insects. Their long, curved wings and slim body make them perfect for high-speed flying.

Sleeps while flying. These birds are so good at flying that they can even sleep in the air! They spend almost their entire lives airborne, only landing to nest and raise their babies.

Flying food hunters. Common swifts catch all their food while flying by scooping up insects right out of the air as they zoom around. They never need to land to eat because everything they need is available while flying.

Long-distance travelers. Common swifts migrate thousands of miles between their breeding homes in Europe and Africa where they spend the winter. They fly almost constantly during their journey to find food along the way.

Distant cousins of hummingbirds. Even though swifts look like swallows, they are actually more closely related to hummingbirds and Southeast Asian treeswifts. They all share the same special group of birds called Apodiformes.