Swift, Common

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.

Swifts have very short legs which they use primarily for clinging to vertical surfaces (hence the German name Mauersegler, literally meaning "wall-glider"). They never settle voluntarily on the ground, where they would be vulnerable to accidents and predation, and non-breeding individuals may spend up to ten months in continuous flight.

Family
Swifts (Apodidae)
Latin Name
Apus apus
Further reading
Wikipedia
Swift

When the bird was spotted

Date Location Title Seen by Interestingness
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors Saltholme b.m.stokesley ***
Germany, Kandern Flying overhead Hühnerhabicht ***
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors Saltholme b.m.stokesley ***
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors Scaling Dam b.m.stokesley ***
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors over house b.m.stokesley ***
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors Sandsend b.m.stokesley ***
Germany, Kandern flying over house Hühnerhabicht ***
France, Leymen In the garden mike421 ***
Switzerland, not specified young swifts practising at dam of Lago di Luzzone Hühnerhabicht *
Germany, Marktrodach flying overhead Hühnerhabicht
France, Leymen Flying overhead in the garden mike421 *
France, not specified Oltingue mike421 *
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors Flying over house b.m.stokesley ***
Germany, Kandern over the garden Hühnerhabicht *
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors Over the garden mike421 *
UK, Teesside and the North York Moors flying over garden b.m.stokesley
UK, Lake District Patterdale Hall b.m.stokesley
Spain, Mallorca Seen at Albufera Nature Reserve b.m.stokesley
France, Leymen Swifts flying overhead in the evening mike421