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Common Swift (Apus apus) Alternate name(s): "Swift*" German name(s): "Mauersegler" Size: 16-17 cm; wing span: 38-48 cm Body Mass: 30-56 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.25-0.32

Europe: Family Group 14 Family Group 14 Table Common Kingfisher European Bee-eater European Roller Common Swift Pallid Swift Alpine Swift Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Common Swifts are relatively large swifts. Their plumage is all dark-grey, except a light-grey throat patch and mid-grey flight feathers. The entire body plumage has thin light-grey edges, leading to a finely scalloped appearance when seen close-up. Swifts, as the name suggests, are fast fliers; accordingly, their wings have the shape of a backward-bent sickle, which - together with the relatively short, prominently forked tail - distinguishes them from swallows. In-flight the very short legs are invisible.

Taxonomy, classification See Common Swift at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Common Swift is available HERE . Common Swifts are a strongly migratory species; except when breeding they are continuously on the wing. Their breeding grounds are along the north-western African coastal fringe, in all of Europe (except small parts of the northern coastline of Scandinavia), Asia Minor and mid- to high-latitude Asia (to about 70 degrees geographical latitude), reaching the eastern Russian coastline. In the South-east their breeding range extends through Syria, Iraq, Iran onwards into the southern half of Pakistan and the northern half of India, and into the Himalayas. They winter in/above all of southern Africa, to the South of the equator, except the very tip near the Cape of Good Hope. During their migration Common Swifts can also be found (in the air above) anywhere in Arabia and the northern half of Africa. During the breeding season Common Swifts will be found near suitable nest sites (rockfaces, ruins, houses, bridges, viaducts), in the vicinity of good hunting grounds (e.g. near water). Outside the breeding season their movements will be dominated by the availability of flying insects, which are often abundant in wetlands, especially around stagnant water or in marshy river deltas.

Sightings Click here for sighting information We spotted Common Swifts in the Rheinaue near Kiedrich, Hessen, Germany, in May 2010. D. Wilczynska reports spotting Common Swifts near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in May 2016, where their calls have been recorded. J. Pires reports finding Common Swifts regularly in the area of Lisbon, the Tejo estuary and Mora, Evora, Portugal, where they nest every summer. Others were spotted at Salinas do Brito, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, in March 2025. M. Eaton reports spotting Common Swifts at Split, Croatia, in September 2019. In the past we used to see Common Swifts regularly in various parts of Germany (especially in low mountain ranges such as the Eifel).

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2024]

Frontal view of a Common Swift in flight; note the small throat patch and grey frons (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Lateral view of a Common Swift in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Brito, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, March 2025]

Lateral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of two Common Swifts in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2015]

Lateral/ventral view of a Pallid Swift in flight; note the large light-grey throat patch- the bird is probably calling, inflating the voice box, which makes the throat patch look distended like a full crop (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Nova Milfontes, Alentejo, Portugal, October 2018]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Common Swift in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - Sep

Eggs: 1 - 4

Incubation period: 19 - 20 days

Fledging age: 27 - 45 days

Pairs of Common Swifts perform nuptial flights, during which they can mate in mid-air - that is quite some feat...! Although 1-4 eggs can be laid, in most cases there are two.

Near-frontal/ventral view of a pair of Common Swifts in nuptial flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira de Vilarelhos, Alfandega da Fe, Braganca, Portugal, April 2024]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a pair of Common Swifts in nuptial flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira de Vilarelhos, Alfandega da Fe, Braganca, Portugal, April 2024]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a pair of Common Swifts in nuptial flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira de Vilarelhos, Alfandega da Fe, Braganca, Portugal, April 2024]

Ventral view of a pair of Common Swifts in nuptial flight, male taking aim (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira de Vilarelhos, Alfandega da Fe, Braganca, Portugal, April 2024]

Ventral view of a pair of Common Swifts mating in-flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira de Vilarelhos, Alfandega da Fe, Braganca, Portugal, April 2024]

Nest building: Male selects site

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Common Swifts nest in loose colonies of up to 30-40 pairs, with each pair defending the immediate surroundings of its nest. Only one brood is produced per season, due to the long fledging period of the young.

Nest

Type: Hole/hollow in building, tree, cliff, crevace

Material: Grass, leaves, hay, straw

Height above ground: ?

Common Swift entering its nest hollow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2017]

Common Swift approaching the entrance to its nest hollow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2015]

Common Swifts outside the entrance to their nest hollow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2017]

Common Swift, lower right, pinching nest material from one of many House Sparrow nests in the understorey of a White Stork nest (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Common Swift carrying away nest material (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Eggs

Size: 25 x 17 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Long tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

As shown above, Common Swifts have the unique ability to mate in-flight.

Common Swifts can perform extreme flight manoeuvres (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Food, Diet

Like other swifts, Common Swifts are insect hunters. They catch and devour their prey in-flight. Common Swifts also drink in-flight and, apart from nesting, will always be airborne.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

comswft_jp_20240527.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© JP
comswft_jp_20200604.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© JP
comswft_jp_20200605.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© JP
comswft_jp_20190616.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© JP
comswft_jp_20190616_2.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© JP
comswft_dw_20160529.m4a	(Poland)	Contact calls (in-flight; distant)	© DW
comswft_dw_20160728.m4a	(Poland)	Contact calls (in-flight; distant)	© DW
comswft_dw_20170729.m4a	(Poland)	Hawking for insects (in-flight; distant)	© DW

More Common Swift sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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