How to identify

The Swift is a medium-sized aerial bird, which is a superb flyer. Sleeping, eating, bathing and even mating on the wing (while flying), Swifts rarely touch the ground. They are also the fastest birds in level flight, with an impressive top speed of 69mph. Swifts are plain sooty brown, with a white throat, but in flight against the sky they appear black. They have curved wings and a forked tail. Swifts are summer visitors, breeding across the UK, but are most numerous in the south and east. Spending their winters in Africa, Swifts migrate 3,400 miles twice a year, stopping off to refuel in places like Portugal and France along the way.

Call

Swift

Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Key features to look out for

  • Dark, sooty brown but can look black against the sky 
  • Pale patch on the throat, but this is often difficult to see in flight 
  • Long, pointed wings held in a ‘boomerang’ shape 
  • Wings are narrower than those of a Swallow or martin 
  • Short, forked tail which can be folded to a point 
  • Bullet-shaped head 
  • You’ll often hear them before you see them – they make an unmistakable, high-pitched ‘scream’ 
A Swift flying towards the camera with trees in the background.
Swift
Swift, swallow or martin?

At first glance, these avian athletes can look very similar, but there are some key differences between them. Have a read of our handy ID guide and soon you’ll know your Swifts from your Swallows.

Protect our Swifts

Their screaming call is one of the most evocative sounds of summer. But in some places their calls have fallen silent. Sadly, Swifts are on the Red List of conservation concern, declining by 62% between 1995 and 2021.

We don’t have the full picture about why Swift populations are crashing, but we think lack of nest sites may be partly the cause. That’s why we’ve been working with other Swift experts to design the ‘Swift brick, a special brick with a cavity for Swifts to raise their chicks in.

We’re also helping Swifts by carrying out research, supporting people to take action in their community and asking people to log local sightings on Swift Mapper, so we can help protect existing nest sites.   

Protect our Swifts - Donate

A Swift, with wings outstretched, flying towards the camera
Swift
Create a high home for Swifts

Set up a nest box to give summer-visiting Swifts a place to nest and breed year after year.

Where to see them

You could see Swifts flying high in the sky over most habitats, as they search for small invertebrates to eat and to feed to their chicks. Nesting Swifts zoom around buildings at roof level.

Look out for nesting Swifts near you and record them on the Swift Mapper

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Behaviour

Swifts are masters of the air and spend almost their entire lives in flight – eating, drinking, sleeping and even mating on the wing. They usually only land when it’s time to nest, so you’ll never see them perched on overhead wires like Swallows. Groups of Swifts can often be seen flying around rooftops at high speed. 

When to see them

Swifts migrate to the UK from Africa each year, and only spend a few months with us while their raise their chicks. Swifts begin arriving from late April, with most arriving in May. They then head back to Africa from early August onwards

Nesting

After a long flight back from their summer in Africa, Swifts have one thing on their minds – to mate. Swifts pair for life, returning to the same site each year for a little nest renovation before laying and incubating their eggs.

They like to live in houses and churches, squeezing through tiny gaps to nest inside roofs. But as more old buildings are renovated and gaps in soffits closed up, Swift nest sites are fast disappearing. This, in part, resulted in Swifts being added to the red list in the 2021 UK Conservation Status Report.

Three Swifts flying in a V formation overhead against a pink sunset.
Swift
Did you know?

During its lifetime, a Swift can fly around two million miles – that’s equivalent to more than four trips to the Moon and back!

Key facts