Photo: Alexis Lours / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Swift
Apus apus
Common Swift (Apus apus) — Swifts of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Swift (Apus apus) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 37.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Apus
- Species apus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Common Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Swift (Apus apus) is a species of bird in the Apodidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.6 g, with a wing length of about 16.1 cm and a tail of around 6.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 24.8 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Swift?
The Common Swift is a small bird that weighs around 37.6 g.
Where does the Common Swift live?
The Common Swift is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Common Swift belong to?
The Common Swift (Apus apus) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Common Swift eat?
The Common Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Swift migrate?
The Common Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common Swift endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Swift make?
1 real field recording of the Common Swift — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Swift's range?
The Common Swift has a mapped global range of about 24.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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