the black swift is native to north and south america, and like other members of the swift family, has unique traits. all swifts have pamprodactyl feet – meaning all of their toes point forward, leaving them able to only perch vertically. due to this, they often nest in preexisting cavities in cliffs and barns. swifts can spend up to 10 months in flight without breaks – catching insects and swooping for sips of water, and even sleeping in flight.
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like all members of the swift family, the chimney swift is unable to perch, and must cling to vertical surfaces. this makes chimneys, with long vertical walls & cracks to cling to, perfect to nest in; chimney swifts earned their name for their reputation of raising their young in chimneys. the chimney swift is native to north & south america.
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a rare closeup of a black swift, found throughout north america and small parts of south america. swifts are rarely seen up close; they spend more of their life in air than any other species of bird – they eat, drink, mate and sleep while in flight. they are incapable of perching like other birds; they must cling to vertical surfaces.
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despite having very similar distinct body shape & behavior, swifts and swallows are only very distantly related. the two families are an example of convergent evolution – when two unrelated organisms evolve the same traits for the same purpose. despite looking very much like swallows, swifts are actually closely related to hummingbirds.
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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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