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Swifts

Swifts are a family of highly aerial birds known as Apodidae, which reside within the Apodiformes order alongside hummingbirds. They resemble swallows due to convergent evolution, as both hunt insects on the fly, but they are not closely related. Swifts have small, weak legs, which led to them sometimes being depicted without feet historically. Their classification is complex, with some fossil evidence suggesting they appeared during the Eocene period. There are about 100 species of swifts, which are known for their high speeds, with the white-throated needletail reaching up to 169 km/h. They have elongated wingtip bones and the ability to rotate their wings from the base, which aids in their maneuverability and efficiency in flight. Swiftlets have evolved a form of echolocation to navigate dark caves. These birds are found worldwide except in the extremes of the polar, desert, and some oceanic islands, and migratory swifts travel from temperate regions to the tropics in winter. Their nests, often attached to vertical surfaces with saliva or located in wall cavities, are unique—some are used in the traditional bird's nest soup. Swifts are insectivores, hunting mid-flight, and their breeding and development patterns are more similar to seabirds than passerines. While no swift species has been recorded as extinct since 1600, some are considered endangered or vulnerable due to factors including habitat loss and overharvesting of their nests by humans for culinary purposes.

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African & Green Broadbills
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African Barbets
Albatrosses
Anhingas, Darters
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Barn Owls
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Bushshrikes
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
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Cuckooshrikes
Dapple-throat & Allies
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Egyptian Plover
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Finches, Euphonias
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Flufftails
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Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
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Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Hamerkop
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
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Hylias
Hyliotas
Ibises, Spoonbills
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Jacanas
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Monarchs
Mousebirds
New World Quail
Nicators
Nightjars
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Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Ostriches
Owls
Oxpeckers
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Penguins
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plovers
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rockfowl
Rollers
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers, Snipes
Secretarybird
Shoebill
Shrikes
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Streaked Scrub Warbler
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins

Swifts

Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Turacos
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Wagtails, Pipits
Wattle-eyes, Batises
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Weavers, Widowbirds
White-eyes
Wood Hoopoes
Woodpeckers
Yellow Flycatchers
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Species Categories

African & Green BroadbillsAfrican & New World ParrotsAfrican BarbetsAlbatrossesAnhingas, DartersAuksAustral Storm PetrelsBarn OwlsBee-eatersBulbulsBuntingsBushshrikesBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesDapple-throat & AlliesDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansEgyptian PloverFairy FlycatchersFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlufftailsFrigatebirdsGannets, BoobiesGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGround HornbillsGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHamerkopHerons, BitternsHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHyliasHyliotasIbises, SpoonbillsIndigobirds, WhydahsJacanasKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesMonarchsMousebirdsNew World QuailNicatorsNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOstrichesOwlsOxpeckersOystercatchersPainted-snipesPelicansPenduline TitsPenguinsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRockfowlRollersSandgrouseSandpipers, SnipesSecretarybirdShoebillShrikesSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksStreaked Scrub WarblerSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTrogonsTropicbirdsTuracosTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesWagtails, PipitsWattle-eyes, BatisesWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWeavers, WidowbirdsWhite-eyesWood HoopoesWoodpeckersYellow Flycatchers

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
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