Do you know what to do if you find a swift on the ground? Many people believe that you should pick it up and throw it into the air, in the mistaken belief it is unable to take off when on the ground.
Although a swift has very short legs in relation to the size of its body, a healthy, adult swift should have no problem taking off from the ground by pushing off with its long, powerful wings.
It will find it easier on a smooth, level surface so its wings have plenty of room to flap and may struggle if it’s grounded in long grass for example.
Despite this, healthy swifts rarely come in to land and fly for very long periods of time, eating, drinking, sleeping, and even mating on the wing.
It is only during breeding season that swifts must land to build their nests, lay eggs, and care for their chicks. As most swifts reach breeding age when they are 3 or 4 years old, a young swift may have stayed permanently in the air from the time it left the nest to this age.
If you find a swift on the ground, do not pick it up and throw it as you could injure it. Leave it for a while and if it’s a healthy swift it should eventually fly away by itself.
If you think it’s struggling because it doesn’t have enough room to execute a take-off, pick it up very gently and it should fly away from your outstretched arm. You could try moving your arm up and down so it can feel the air beneath its wings. Alternatively, you could take it to an upstairs window, but again, do not throw it out; leave it on your hand until it flies off by itself.
Unfortunately, many swifts that can’t take off from the ground are sick or injured, or are too young to fend for themselves and are not strong enough to fly. If a swift genuinely can’t take off, no matter how much you try and coax it, then you should contact your local wildlife rehabilitation centre who will be able to help.
Although swifts’ wings have adapted for very fast flight, they can’t fly slowly and have limited manoeuvrability. Swifts need a clear space in front of their nests so they can fly directly into the entrance hole without touching the sides.
The common swift holds the record for the fastest bird in level flight reaching a top speed of 112 km/h. The white-throated needletail is reputed to fly faster, but this has never been scientifically proven.
Swifts have bristles in front of their eyes that move and help reduce glare from the sun when they are flying.
Before their maiden flight, a baby swift will do a series of ‘push-ups’, stretching out their wings and gradually raising their bodies of the ground to judge whether they are strong enough to fly.
The common swift only stays in the UK for 3 months each year arriving to breed in late April or early May before leaving in July or August to return to their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa.
