To an inexperienced observer, it seems that there is not much difference between swifts and swallows. They lead a similar way of life: these birds feed on insects caught on the fly in the air; both are excellent fliers. The shape of their beak is similar: short with a wide slit.
These birds are in the air almost all day long, making intricate pirouettes. On the ground, swifts and swallows are rarely seen. In the spring they fly to us from warm lands, in the fall they fly back.
In fact, these birds have a lot of differences. So, let's compare swallows and swifts. They have much more differences than similarities. They are not even "close relatives", as they belong to different species. Swifts - to the detachment of long-winged (swift-like), and swallows - to passerines.
If you compare swallows and swifts from the ground, watching them in flight, you can see the difference in maneuverability. The second fly swiftly and very quickly, and the first write intricate pirouettes in the air. Swifts are champions among birds in terms of flight speed: it is known that they can develop it up to 150 km / h. Swallows according to this indicatorlose (up to 60 km / h), but surpass them in maneuverability.
When the birds are in the air, another comparison can be made. Swallows and swifts can be distinguished by the color of the abdomen, which is clearly visible from below. The first has a white chest, while the second has a dark one. The swift, unlike the swallow, never folds its wings. Flying Swifts make loud, ear-piercing calls as their flocks scamper over the ground in search of prey.
If you manage to take a closer look at the birds and make a more detailed comparison of swallows and swifts, you can notice other differences, the main of which is the structure of the legs. In a swallow, like in most birds, it has four fingers, three of which are directed forward, and the fourth is backward. Swifts have all four fingers pointing forward. This gives them the ability to cling to any vertical surface with their paws. Sometimes swifts even sleep with their claws on the wall.
The chirping of swallows turns into melodic trills, and the screams of swifts sometimes turn into squeals. Another difference is the structure of the tail and wings. Swallows have a forked tail and are longer than those of swifts. The wings of the second are larger and wider, have a crescent shape.
Birds also differ in plumage. In swallows, it is bluish, shiny, with a black tint, a white breast. On the head is a “cap” of a reddish-red color, a bright spot under the throat. Swifts have a dark color with a slightly greenish tint and a white spot on the throat.
The lifestyle of birds is also different. Both the swift and the swallow incubate the chicks in the nest. The difference is that the latter build their nests under the roofs of houses, under the eaves. They have 4-5 chicks waiting with their mouths open for their parents to put in the next portion of food.
Swifts usually lay 2 eggs in different burrows where they build nests. Sometimes swifts take over other people's dwellings with a fight. They feed the hatched chicks with a compressed lump of food. Swifts do not teach babies to fly. Having become stronger, they themselves fly out of the nest.
With the onset of cold weather, one and the other fly south. Places where swallows and swifts winter: South Africa, Madagascar. Birds have to travel great distances. They stay on the road for 5-6 weeks, feeding on the fly. A flock of birds spend the night in the reeds.
If bad weather caught them on the road, travelers can spend several days in a daze, hiding in caves. Before the onset of favorable weather, all life processes in their body slow down. In the spring they will cover the same long way and return to their nests.
