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A swift flying to a nest box attached to the eaves of a cottage with its throat pouch bulging with insects it has caught to feed its chicks

A swift flying to a nest box attached to the eaves of a cottage with its throat pouch bulging with insects it has caught to feed its chicks - by Nick Upton

A swift in flight

Swift ©David Tipling/2020VISION

Swift

©Stefan Johansson

Common swift (Apus apus) screaming party silhouetted against the sky as they fly in formation over cottage roofs at dusk

Nick Upton

Swift

Swifts spend most of their lives flying – even sleeping, eating and drinking – only ever landing to nest. They like to nest in older buildings in small holes in roof spaces.

Scientific name

Apus apus

When to see

Swifts arrive in the UK from April onwards. They then leave in August.
How to build a swift box

Species information

Statistics

Length: 16-17cm
Wingspan: 45cm
Weight: 44g
Average lifespan: 9 years
Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021).

About

Swifts spend most of their lives soaring high in the sky, only ever landing to nest. They are easy to spot as they look like an arrow whirling through the sky, and often fly in groups. Originally, they would have nested in trees or cliffs but now prefer the roofs of old buildings like churches. Swifts spend the winter in Africa but travel to Britain every year in April and May.

They feast on small flying insects by catching them in flight. Insects collect in a special pouch at the back of the swift's throat, where they are bound together by saliva until they form a kind of pellet known as a bolus, which can be regurgitated and fed to chicks. One single bolus can contain over 300 insects, with some holding over 1,000!

How to identify

The swift is black all over, with a small, pale patch on its throat. Looking a bit like a boomerang when in the air, it is very sociable and can often be spotted in groups wheeling over roofs and calling to each other with high-pitched screams. It is larger than swallows and martins (which have white undersides) and, unlike them, does not perch on wires, buildings or trees.

Distribution

A common and widespread summer visitor.

In our area

How to help swifts where you live

Swifts are on the UK Red List, having suffered serious declines in recent decades. It's estimated that almost 60% of UK swifts have disappeared over the last 25 years. There are many ways you can help look after swifts in your local area.

Did you know?

Swifts spend almost all of their lives on the wing, even sleeping, drinking and mating while flying; they only land to nest.

Watch

Swifts (https://vimeo.com/453689992)

Swifts by Tom Hibbert 

How to build a swift box

How to help swifts where you live

Swifts are on the UK Red List, having suffered serious declines in recent decades. It's estimated that almost 60% of UK swifts have disappeared over the last 25 years. There are many ways you can help look after swifts in your local area.