swift

Apus apus

• Dark all over
   
• Pale throats
   
• Narrow, scythe-shaped wings

Look for groups of screaming birds dashing between buildings, or almost invisible high specks swooping after insects in the dusk.
 

Where found

Low over meadows or high over buildings. They nest in cracks in masonry or on rafters. Except when on the nest, they spend their whole lives, even sleeping, on the wing.
 

When to look for

• A summer visitor arriving in late April/early May.
   
• Leaving from late July/August onwards.