Common Swift: In winter
The Common Swift is a long-distance migrant and is among the very first summer visitors to leave Sweden.
- Migration: as early as July–August most head south towards their winter quarters in Africa south of the Sahara.
- In Sweden: in winter there are no swifts here, and the sky becomes noticeably empty and quiet already in the middle of August.
- Life on the wing: during migration and its winter stay the bird lives entirely on the wing and never lands until it returns to breed.
The migration route can amount to 10,000 kilometres in each direction, and the late arrival in May is due to its dependence on flying insects.
More about the Common Swift