Common Swift

Overview

Common Swift (Apus apus) is a species of Swifts (Apodidae) in the order Swifts and Hummingbirds. A sickle-winged aerial bird that eats, drinks, mates and even sleeps on the wing; spends months airborne without landing; nests under eaves and in crevices; one of the fastest fliers, a champion of life in the sky.

Scientific Classification

Genus: Apus; binomial: Apus apus; authority: (Linnaeus, 1758). Typical size: 16-17cm. Average lifespan: 5-10 years.

Distribution

Breeding range: the Palearctic. Non-breeding range: s AF.

Conservation Status

This taxon is listed as Extant (living) in the IOC World Bird List.

Remarks

No additional remarks recorded.