bird of the day: common swift

the common swift is a large member of the swift family found in parts of africa, europe, and asia.

swifts have unique feet – at one point, it was thought they did not have feet at all. their feet are small and weak, and they are physically incapable of perching like other birds. their feet are specially evolved to let them cling to vertical surfaces, instead of perching on branches like other birds.

swifts spend more of their lives in the air than any other bird. when they aren’t nesting, swifts are flying. they eat, sleep, and mate in the air. swifts can spend up to 10 months without ever pausing their flight.

naturally, swifts nest in woodpecker holes, cliffs, and other natural enclosed areas. however, they are frequently found in suburban environments in barns, windowsills and other convenient human-made nesting sites. nests are created with objects the swifts pluck from the air and bind with their saliva.

the common swift is currently rated least concern by the iucn.

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