Swifts + Swallows: Which is Which?

[paraffin]

At this time of year when there are many of these beautiful birds gliding around fields and so forth, I've often wondered exactly which it is I'm looking at since Swifts and Swallows are not actually related, I believe?

They all look the same to me in flight. Would I be looking at both species, does anyone think, or only one? Can you actually differentiate just by seeing them flying around?

[slinkycat]

Was told the other day that swifts can land on the ground and take off again, but swallows must always stay in flight, they cannot take off from the ground, only from high places....or was it the other way round! Hopefully someone will enlighten us

[paraffin]

Cheers, slinky, you've given me a laugh if nothing else.(Chuckle)

[kippyboo]

Its the other way round , swifts live ,eat ,sleep ,have sex on the wing and only stop to nest they are always higher in the sky as they have too long wings and too weak legs to take off from the ground.
I have two pairs nesting under the eaves they have returned for the last 5 years.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name /s/swift/identification.asp

[slinkycat]

hee hee was a bit of a useless answer wasn't it? Sorry, glad it made you laugh though!

[slinkycat]

Ah Kippy, so it must have been swallows that I saw in a garden last week, cos one landed on the ground and took off again....... but what about house martins, aren't they similar too?

[paraffin]

I'm looking at the various answers so far and am still having a good chuckle at them all!

I love all the bits and pieces, guys, but these are more like bl00dy politicians' answers: all faff and no fact!

Look at my very last question above: Yes? Right, let's go again, shall we? (cough, cough)

[paraffin]

I'm giving you stars for effort, so don't get carried away.

[fabioburke]

kippyboo is correct but you can also tell the difference as swallows have more of an accentuated and longer fork tail.

[kippyboo]

I think you should a doctor with that cough as you seem to have have trouble swallowing and therefore death could be swift . So in answer to your question I think you're looking at both as theres's a lot of it flying around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/********

[kippyboo]

sorry you cant post the word for "young male bovines excrement" on here

[Rosetta]

Swifts are bigger than swallows and martins and they have a scimitar shaped wingspan. They are all black other than a white throat which might be difficult to see in flight
Swallows have streamers on their tails. they also have whitish chest and belly.
Martins are smaller, no streamers on the tail. They have white throats, chest and belly

[Clanad]

Since we have numerous Barn Swallows on the place here in the western U.S. and since we're on the northern edge of the migratory patterns for the Swifts, I find the difference in wing shape to be telling.

All Swallows have an easily recognizable "shoulder" that's not so apparent on the Swift. The Swift's wings are a smoother crescent from the wing root to the tip while the Swallow's has the junction and sweep change just ouboard of the wing root.

Here in the U.S., the only Swallow that has the "streamers" on the deeply forked tail are the Barn Swallows. Not at all like the "sawn-off" stubbiness of the Chimney Swift.

Here's a nice link that can help, assuming similarities in the U.S. and U.K. species... http://www.naturenorth.com/summer/Chimney_Swif t/Swallow_VS_Swifts-0409%20(2).pdf ...

[burnhal]

the absolute give away when identifying swifts and swallows in flight is the scream from swifts- they have great trouble flying silently!!!
Even though swifts have pale throats you are not likely to notice that- if it looks totally black, screams and has scimitar shaped wings then its a swift.
If it doesnt scream, twitters and has long streamers to its tail then its a swallow. If it is black and white and has a stumpy tail then its a house martin.

[paraffin]

Some fantastic information there, guys. Thanks a lot, and for the various links, most interesting.

I just find them (whichever ones it is I'm looking at) totally fascinating, as if they didn't have a care in the world: lucky them !