Swift

Swift, any bird of the Picarian family Cypselidae, or of its type genus Cypselus. Ihese birds are remarkably swallow-like in appearance and habit, but their close relationship to the humming-birds is shown by their structure. The family, which contains seven genera, with about 50 specles, is a1most cosmopolitan, New Zealand being the only sub-region in which none is found. The bill is short and weak, the wide gape is fringed with bristles, the wings are long and pointed and the tail is short. There are two groups:- (1) The true Swifts in which all the toes are directed forwards; (2) those in which the first toe is directed backwards. In this last group the tall-feathers are mucronate, whence the species are often called Spine-tailed Swifts. The Common Swift (C. apus) is found pretty plentifully in summer over the north of Europe and Asia, arriving later and leaving earlier for its southern winter quarters than the swallows. The general plumage is a brownish-black glossed with bronze, and there is some white on the throat. The long wings are sickle-shaped, and from their rapid-flight these b1rds derive their popular name. Their chief food consists of insects, and they reject the hard parts in the form of pellets. The nest is formed of bents, dried grass, feathers, etc., cemented together with a glutinous secretion. There are usually but two eggs, and more than one brood in a season is the exception. The Alpine or White-bellied Swift (C. alpinus)is a rare British visitor, though it spends the summer among the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. The Swiftlets (Collocalia) make the edible birds'-nests (q.v.), and some other members of the family use salivary secretions in nest-building.