21 MAY 2024
Credit: Google Images
Credit: Google Images
Common swifts are migratory birds, spending their breeding season in Europe and parts of Asia, and wintering in Africa.
Credit: Google Images
They are known to stay airborne for up to 10 months at a stretch without landing.
Credit: Google Images
During this prolonged period in the air, swifts perform all their essential activities while flying.
Credit: Google Images
They feed on airborne insects, drink by skimming water surfaces, and even sleep while on the wing. They are capable of half-brain sleep, allowing them to rest while remaining aloft.
Credit: Google Images
Studies involving tracking devices attached to swifts have provided evidence of their extended periods of flight.
Credit: Google Images
These devices have shown that swifts can remain airborne continuously, covering vast distances and navigating different altitudes to suit their needs for feeding, resting, and avoiding predators.
Credit: Google Images
Their legs are short and adapted for clinging to vertical surfaces rather than perching, which is why they are seldom seen on the ground.