Common swift

The common swift, Apus apus, is a medium-sized aerial bird in the family Apodidae, whose closest relatives are hummingbirds and treeswifts rather than swallows despite superficial resemblance. It measures 16 to 17 centimeters long with a 38 to 40 centimeter wingspan, is entirely blackish-brown except for a small, barely visible pale patch on the chin, and has a short forked tail with long, swept-back, crescent-shaped wings. The species breeds across Eurasia from Portugal and Ireland to China and Siberia and winters in equatorial and sub-equatorial Africa, living almost entirely on the wing, catching insects, drinking and even mating in flight, with some individuals staying airborne for up to ten months and reaching speeds of 111.6 kilometers per hour. It is classed as Least Concern globally but Near Threatened in Europe.