Common swifts (Apus apus) are medium-sized aerial birds known for their superb flying ability. These birds never settle voluntarily on the ground, where they would be vulnerable to accidents and predation, and non-breeding individuals may spend up...
The Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica) is a highly aerial bird belonging to the swift family Apodidae. A member of the genus Chaetura, it is closely related to both the Vaux's swift and the Chapman's swift; in the past, the three were sometimes...
The White-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) is a large swift. Needle-tailed swifts get their name from the spined end of their tail, which is not forked as it is in the typical swifts of the genus Apus. The White-throated needletail was...
The Edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) is a small swift from Southeast Asia. Its opaque and whitish bird nest is made exclusively of solidified saliva and is the main ingredient of bird's nest soup, a delicacy of Chinese cuisine.
The alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba) is a species of large swift from Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. Like most swifts, they never settle voluntarily on the ground, spending most of their lives in the air living on the insects they catch in...
The American black swift, or more simply black swift (Cypseloides niger ), is a species of bird that is found from northern British Columbia in Canada through the United States and Mexico to Costa Rica and Brazil. They are also found in the...
The white-throated swift (Aeronautes saxatalis ) is a swift of the family Apodidae native to western North America, south to cordilleran western Honduras. Its coastal range extends as far north as Northern California, while inland it has migratory...
Vaux's swift (Chaetura vauxi ) is a small swift native to North America, Central America, and northern South America. It was named for the American scientist William Sansom Vaux.
The Pacific swift (Apus pacificus) is a species of bird that is part of the Swift family. It breeds in eastern Asia. It is found in a wide range of climatic zones and habitats. It breeds in sheltered locations and builds a nest that is gathered in...
The Indian swiftlet, or Indian edible-nest swiftlet, (Aerodramus unicolor ) is a small swift. It is a common resident colonial breeder in the hills of Sri Lanka and south west India.The half-cup nest is built on a vertical surface, often in a cave....
The little swift (Apus affinis ), is a small species of swift found in Africa and southwestern Asia, and are vagrants and local breeders in southern Europe. They are found both in urban areas and at rocky cliffs where they build nests in a way...
The pallid swift (Apus pallidus ) is a small bird, superficially similar to a barn swallow or house martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since the swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the...
The white-collared swift (Streptoprocne zonaris ) is a resident breeding bird from central Mexico, the Greater Antilles and Trinidad south to Peru, northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil.This very large swift builds a saucer nest of mud, moss...
The house swift (Apus nipalensis ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Japan, Nepal, and Southeast Asia. It is capable of flying long distances by alternately shutting off hemispheres of their brain in-flight. In May 2012,...
The white-rumped swift (Apus caffer ) is a species of swift. Although this small bird is superficially similar to a house martin, it is not closely related to that passerine species. The resemblances between the swallows and swifts are due to...
The Asian palm swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis ) is a small swift. It is very similar to the African palm swift, Cypsiurus parvus, and was formerly considered to be the same species.It is a common resident breeder in tropical Asia from India to the...
The Mariana swiftlet or Guam swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi ) is a species of swiftlet in the family Apodidae.
The great dusky swift (Cypseloides senex ) is a South American species of swift in the family Apodidae. At 18 cm (7.1 in) in length, it is large relative to other swifts, and dark brown in colour with a pale coloured head.It is found in Brazil and...
The Himalayan swiftlet (Aerodramus brevirostris ) is a small swift. It is a common colonial breeder in the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. Some populations are migratory.This swiftlet was formerly placed in the genus Collocalia. Two of its five...
The plain swift (Apus unicolor ) is a medium-sized swift. Although this bird is superficially similar to a barn swallow or house martin, it is not related to those passerine species. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent...
The cave swiftlet (Collocalia linchi ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found on the Indonesia islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali. It is a woodland species and nests in caves. The Bornean swiftlet was considered a subspecies, but...
The glossy swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.It is found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and eastwards to New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands.
The African black swift (Apus barbatus ), also known as the African swift or black swift, is a medium-sized bird in the swift family. It breeds in Africa discontinuously from Liberia, Cameroon, Zaire, Uganda and Kenya southwards to South Africa. The...
The African palm swift (Cypsiurus parvus ) is a small swift. It is very similar to the Asian palm swift, Cypsiurus balasiensis, and was formerly considered to be the same species. The Malagasy palm swift was also recently split from this species....
The brown-backed needletail (Hirundapus giganteus ), or brown needletail, is a large swift.These birds have very short legs which they use only mainly for clinging to vertical surfaces. They never settle voluntarily on the ground and spend most of...
The Australian swiftlet (Aerodramus terraereginae ) is a small bird belonging to the genus Aerodramus in the swift family, Apodidae. It is endemic to Queensland in north-eastern Australia. It was formerly included in the white-rumped swiftlet...
The short-tailed swift (Chaetura brachyura ) is a bird in the Apodidae, or swift family.
The purple needletail (Hirundapus celebensis ), or hagibas in Tagalog, is the largest swift found in the Old World. It is native to the Philippine archipelago and the Minahasa Peninsula (Sulawesi).This bird lives in various forests and open country....
The white-naped swift (Streptoprocne semicollaris ) is the largest representative of the swift family in the New World and one of the two largest species in the world. Only the purple needletail of Asia may be slightly larger. This bird is found...
The silver-backed needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.It is found in Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java and Taiwan. It is a vagrant to Christmas Island.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist...
The Horus swift (Apus horus ) is a small bird in the swift family. Horus, whose name this bird commemorates, was the ancient Egyptian god of the sun, son of Osiris and Isis.
The Fernando Po swift (Apus sladeniae ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria.The specific epithet is for Constance Sladen, who provided financial support for its discovery.
Blyth's swift (Apus leuconyx ), is a small bird, superficially similar to a house martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to...
The dark-rumped swift (Apus acuticauda ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.It is found in Bhutan and Northeast India and is a vagrant to Thailand.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by...
The Antillean palm swift (Tachornis phoenicobia ) is a small swift. It has distinctive black-and-white markings on its underparts, rump, and throat, making it one of the most unmistakable species of swifts in North America.
Chapman's swift (Chaetura chapmani ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or...
The chestnut-collared swift (Streptoprocne rutila ) is a resident breeding bird from Mexico and Trinidad south to Peru and Bolivia. It was one of the species of Cypseloides controversially moved to Streptoprocne by the AOU (BLI 2004).
The plume-toed swiftlet (Collocalia affinis ) is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is found on some eastern Indian Ocean islands, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and lowland Borneo.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist...
The white-chinned swift (Cypseloides cryptus ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical...
The Philippine swiftlet (Aerodramus mearnsi ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical...
Salim Ali's swift (Apus salimalii ) is a small bird, superficially similar to a house martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to...
The pygmy swiftlet (Collocalia troglodytes ) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. At under 9 cm (3.5 in), it is the world's smallest...
