Common Swift

Apus apus · eBird.org

Info

Common name: Common Swift Scientific name: Apus apus

The common swift is a medium-sized aerial bird, and one of the most accomplished fliers in the animal kingdom. Despite superficially resembling a barn swallow or house martin, it belongs to a completely different order — Apodiformes — a case of convergent evolution shaped by a shared aerial lifestyle.

Swifts spend almost their entire lives in the air: they eat, drink, and even sleep on the wing. They only land when nesting, clinging to vertical surfaces since their short legs make walking impossible. A swift that falls to the ground is in serious danger.

The common swift arrives in Portugal in late April or early May, breeding in buildings and cliff faces before departing south again in August. Its screaming call — a high-pitched srreee — is one of the most distinctive sounds of a Portuguese summer.

Song & Call

Recording XC809202 via xeno-canto.org — Creative Commons licensed.

First recorded: 26 May 2026 · Cruz de Argola, Guimarães, Portugal