We all know about the existence of swifts and swallows.These birds fill the joyful noise of a spring sky over our homes and not being afraid of people settle nearby.And if you can easily distinguish between them?Because they are so similar both in appearance and way of life.Let's look at these birds more.
What is different from swallows swifts.Appearance
Let's start with the fact that these birds belong to different orders: Swifts - members of the order, or whitetip apodiformes and swallows - passerine.
If you look carefully photos of swallows, you can see that they have black plumage with bluish and white or beige breast.The head is decorated with a red swallow-brown markings above and below the beak.
have swifts ebb green feathers, and on the throat has a small white spot.Swifts and swallows longer wings are longer, narrower, like a sickle shape and in flight - on a taut bow.
What is different from swallows swifts.The ability to fly
Swifts - a swift bird.In the air they reach speeds of up to 150 km / h.While a swallow it does not exceed 60 km / h.Swift usually flies in a straight line very quickly, dramatically, and can dive into the slot without reducing speed.
Another feature of the Swift - in flight, he never folds its wings.By the way, the birds in the air almost all the time squawk.A swallow - is a master of aerial pirouettes and unexpected twists.In flight, it is silent, and on vacation from her melodious singing, ending a pleasant trill.
Swift surprised their abilities to non-stop flight: he eats, sleeps, drinks and even mate in the air.Just imagine, a young swift flies to 500 000 km before the first sit down to relax!
form tabs - a special sign Swift
Swifts, photos you see here, unlike the swallows on the ground will never sit.This form is to blame for the legs.They have this bird is unusual: all the four fingers with sharp, tenacious claws outstretched, while a swallow three fingers outstretched, and one - back.
Swallow This can easily sit on the ground and to move on it, and yet, like many other birds - rest on the crossbar, branches or perches.You must have seen how the birds sitting on the wires with long forked tails.It swallows.
A swift but can their sharp, curved claws on the short legs to cling to the slightest ledge on the wall, a tree or other vertical surface and climb over it, relying on a solid tail.
What is different from swallows swifts.Method nesting
all seen the wonderful work of building art - a swallow's nest, cobbled together out of clay or earth.But do not build nests of swifts.Any hole, crevice, hollow, or someone else's nest they are suitable for breeding.Taking them swift floats its predatory claws and recaptures the living space at the sparrows, swallows and even starlings, which are twice the size of any of these "warriors".
Now you probably can answer without hesitation, what is the difference from the swallows swifts.But there is something that unites them, and those and others - a wonderful creation of nature, bringing the wings warm, spring and joy.