Swift Bird Facts
At Swift Racing we REALLY love these little, enigmatic birds, and we hope that after reading these facts as well as the many legends/mythology about them, you will too!
The Marvel of Swift Birds
Swifts are among the most extraordinary birds on Earth. Built for speed and endurance, they spend almost their entire lives in the air. Their mastery of flight has inspired myths, legends, and scientific fascination for centuries. From ancient heraldry to modern biology, swifts symbolize freedom, resilience, and the untamed spirit.
Swifts form a group called the Apodidae - a very ancient group. They probably separated from all other birds around 65-70 million years ago. For reference, this is when Tyrannosaurus died out. Archaeopteryx lived about 150 million years ago.
The swift’s parasites are so different to those of other species that it supports the fact that they separated from other bird species a very long time ago. Their parasites have evolved with them.
There are around 113 Swift species worldwide. They tend to be paler in drier areas, and darker in wetter areas, smaller in hotter regions, and larger in colder regions. Also, the further north a swift species lives, the darker it will be.
The biology of an Aerial Acrobat
Swifts belong to the family Apodidae (from the Greek "a-pous," meaning "without feet"), a name that reflects their tiny, weak legs. Unlike most birds, swifts are not designed for walking or perching - they are built purely for flight. Swifts are approximately 16-17cm in length and have a 42-48cm wingspan. They weigh 36-50g.
Wings: Long, curved, and sickle-shaped, allowing for rapid, agile flight.
Feet: Tiny and weak, used only for clinging to vertical surfaces like cliffs or walls.
Eyes: Protected by special feathers to shield against wind and debris during high-speed flight.
Beak: Short but wide, perfect for catching insects mid-air.
The average lifespan of a Swift is nine years, reaching breeding maturity at around four years old. The oldest known Swift was ringed as a chick in Switzerland and recovered alive 21-years later, which is remarkable for such a small bird.
Flight: The Ultimate Aviators
Swifts are the cheetahs of the bird world
Speed: As a group, swifts are the fastest of all birds in level flight. The top speed recorded in a recent scientific study was 111.6km/h (69.3mph). The needle-tailed swift of Africa and Asia has been reported to reach 170 kph, 105mph, but this is not proven.
Stamina: Some species, like the Common Swift (Apus apus), can stay airborne for 10 months without landing.
Altitude: They have been recorded flying at 10,000 feet (3,000 meters).
Sleep: They sleep while flying, entering a state called “unihemispheric slow-wave sleep”, where one half of the brain rests while the other stays alert.
Diet: The Ultimate Sky Hunters
Swifts are insectivores, and probably eats more species of animals than any other bird. David Lack recorded over 312.
They drink by skimming water surfaces mid-flight and even mate in the air!
Migration: Epic Journeys Across Continents
Swifts are long-distance migrants, traveling between Europe/Africa and the Americas.
Common Swift: Breeds in Europe, winters in sub-Saharan Africa, a 6,000-mile (9,600 km) round trip.
Chimney Swift (North America): Migrates from Canada/US to the Amazon Basin.
Alpine Swift: Holds the record for the longest continuous flight - 200 days without landing!
One bird in Oxford, known to be at least 18 years old, was reckoned to have flown about 4 million miles (6.4 million kms), the same as flying to the moon and back 8 times!
Swifts even sleep on the wing – a French Airman in the 1914-18 war glided down with engines off behind enemy lines. At 10,000 feet he found himself amongst birds apparently motionless. One of them was caught in the plane and was found to be a swift.
They seem to bathe by flying relatively slowly through falling rain.
Their navigation skills remain a scientific mystery - some believe they use Earth’s magnetic field, star patterns, or even smell to find their way.
Bringing up baby:
When food is scarce in bad weather – the chicks can go cold and torpid and survive for days without food, then regain weight rapidly once supplies resume. Most other baby birds would simply die within hours.
The length of time the babies spend in the nest depends on the food supply, and can vary by up to three weeks – this is different to birds like robins and blackbirds which leave when they are a certain age, no matter how well they’ve grown.
At about a month old, the babies do ‘press ups’ in the nest, lifting themselves up by pushing down on their wings, probably to strengthen the wings. By the time they’re ready to go, they can hold their bodies clear of the ground like this for several seconds
Unlike many birds, the siblings do not necessarily leave together – each goes in its own time, when it’s ready.
Once they launch themselves off on their very first ever flight, they don’t return to the nest and are no longer cared for by the parents. They usually start their migration immediately.
Swifts in Mythology and Folklore:
The Martlet: Heraldic Symbol of Eternal Travel
The martlet is a mythical version of the swift, a bird without feet that never roosts from the moment of its birth until its death.
They are shown in English heraldry with short tufts of feathers in place of legs.
It was widely used in English heraldry to depict continuous effort, the constant quest for knowledge, learning, and adventure, and even restlessness, which is why they were often used as the mark of a fourth son, who often received no part of the family wealth and had "the privilege of leaving home to make a home for himself".
Greek and Roman Legends: Messengers of the Gods
The Greeks associated swifts with Apus, a minor deity representing the "footless" bird of the sky.
Romans believed swifts carried souls to the afterlife, linking them to Mercury, the messenger god.
Native American Beliefs: Bringers of Rain Some tribes saw swifts as rain-bringers, believing their high flights signaled approaching storms.
European Superstitions: Omens of Change In England, a swift flying into a house was considered an omen of death or great change. In Ireland, they were called "devil birds" because their screeching calls sounded eerie at dusk.
Conservation:
Swifts are more than just birds - they are “living symbols of boundless freedom”. Their incredible flight skills, epic migrations, and mythical legacy make them one of nature’s most awe-inspiring creatures.
Sadly, swift populations are declining due to:
Habitat loss (modern buildings lack nesting spaces)
Insect decline (pesticides reduce their food supply)
Climate change (shifts in migration timing)
As we lose touch with the natural world, swifts remind us to look up, marvel at the unseen wonders above us, and protect these masters of the air before they vanish from our skies forever.
How to Help:
- Install swift nest boxes on buildings.
- Avoid pesticides to protect insect populations.
- Support conservation groups like Swift Conservation (UK) or The Audubon Society (US).
For more information check out the Ealing Wildlife Group, the Common Swift website, the BBC, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and others.
The Martlet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martlet