TheApodidae, orswifts, form a family of highly aerialbirds. They are superficially similar toswallows, but are not closely related to anypasserine species. Swifts are placed in the orderApodiformes along withhummingbirds. Thetreeswifts are closely related to the true swifts, but form a separate family, the Hemiprocnidae.
Resemblances between swifts and swallows are due toconvergent evolution, reflecting similar life styles based on catchinginsects in flight.[1]
The family name, Apodidae, is derived from theGreek ἄπους (ápous), meaning "footless", a reference to the small, weak legs of these most aerial of birds.[2][3] The tradition of depicting swifts without feet continued into the Middle Ages, as seen in the heraldicmartlet.
Taxonomists have long classified swifts and treeswifts as relatives of thehummingbirds, a judgment corroborated by the discovery of theJungornithidae (apparently swift-like hummingbird-relatives) and of primitive hummingbirds such asEurotrochilus. Traditional taxonomies place the hummingbird family (Trochilidae) in the same order as the swifts and treeswifts (and no other birds); theSibley-Ahlquist taxonomy treated this group as a superorder in which the swift order was called Trochiliformes.
The taxonomy of the swifts is complicated, with genus and species boundaries widely disputed, especially amongst theswiftlets. Analysis of behavior and vocalizations is complicated by commonparallel evolution, while analyses of differentmorphological traits and of variousDNA sequences have yielded equivocal and partly contradictory results.[4]
The Apodiformes diversified during theEocene, at the end of which the extant families were present; fossil genera are known from all over temperate Europe, between today's Denmark and France, such as the primitive swift-likeScaniacypselus[5] (Early–Middle Eocene) and the more modernProcypseloides (Late Eocene/EarlyOligocene – EarlyMiocene). A prehistoric genus sometimes assigned to the swifts,Primapus (Early Eocene of England), might also be a more distant ancestor.
Swifts are among the fastest of birds in level flight, and larger species like thewhite-throated needletail have been reported travelling at up to 169 km/h (105 mph).[7] Even thecommon swift can cruise at a maximum speed of 31metres per second (112 km/h; 70 mph). In a single year the common swift can cover at least 200,000 km,[8] and in a lifetime, about two million kilometers.[9]
The wingtip bones of swiftlets are of proportionately greater length than those of most other birds. Changing the angle between the bones of the wingtips and forelimbs allows swifts to alter the shape and area of their wings to increase their efficiency and maneuverability at various speeds.[10] They share with their relatives thehummingbirds a special ability to rotate their wings from the base, allowing the wing to remain rigid and fully extended and derive power on both the upstroke and downstroke.[11] The downstroke produces both lift and thrust, while the upstroke produces a negative thrust (drag) that is 60% of the thrust generated during the downstrokes, but simultaneously it contributes lift that is also 60% of what is produced during the downstroke. This flight arrangement might benefit the bird's control and maneuverability in the air.[12]
Theswiftlets or cave swiftlets have developed a form ofecholocation for navigating through dark cave systems where they roost.[13] One species, theThree-toed swiftlet, has recently been found to use this navigation at night outside its cave roost too.
Swifts occur on all the continents except Antarctica, but not in the far north, in large deserts, or on many oceanic islands.[14] The swifts of temperate regions are stronglymigratory and winter in the tropics. Some species can survive short periods of cold weather by enteringtorpor, a state similar to hibernation.[13]
Many have a characteristic shape, with a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or aboomerang. The flight of some species is characterised by a distinctive "flicking" action quite different from swallows. Swifts range in size from the pygmy swiftlet (Collocalia troglodytes), which weighs 5.4 g and measures 9 cm (3.5 in) long, to thepurple needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), which weighs 184 g (6.5 oz) and measures 25 cm (9.8 in) long.[13]
The nest of many species is glued to a vertical surface with saliva, and the genusAerodramus use only that substance, which is the basis forbird's nest soup. Other swifts select holes and small cavities in walls.[15] The eggs hatch after 19 to 23 days, and the young leave the nest after a further six to eight weeks. Both parents assist in raising the young.[13]
Swifts as a family have smaller egg clutches and much longer and more variable incubation and fledging times thanpasserines with similarly sized eggs, resemblingtubenoses in these developmental factors. Young birds reach a maximum weight heavier than their parents; they can cope with not being fed for long periods of time, and delay their feather growth when undernourished. Swifts and seabirds have generally secure nest sites, but their food sources are unreliable, whereas passerines are vulnerable in the nest but food is usually plentiful.[16][17]
All swifts eat insects, such as dragonflies, flies, ants, aphids, wasps and bees as well as aerial spiders. Prey is typically caught in flight using the beak. Some species, like thechimney swift, hunt in mixed species flocks with other aerial insectivores such as members ofHirundinidae (swallows).[18]
The hardened saliva nests of theedible-nest swiftlet and theblack-nest swiftlet have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years, most often asbird's nest soup.[21] Over-harvesting of this expensive delicacy has led to a decline in the numbers of these swiftlets,[22][23] especially as the nests are also thought to have health benefits andaphrodisiac properties. Most nests are built during the breeding season by the male swiftlet over a period of 35 days. They take the shape of a shallow cup stuck to the cave wall. The nests are composed of interwoven strands of salivary cement and contain high levels of calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium.[23]
^Thomassen, Henri A.; Tex, Robert-Jan; de Bakker, Merijn A.G.; Povel, G. David E. (2005). "Phylogenetic relationships amongst swifts and swiftlets: A multi locus approach".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.37 (1):264–277.doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.010.PMID16006151.
^del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David A.; de Juana, Eduardo (eds.)."Apodidae".Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved10 September 2013.
^"Apodidae".Species. BirdLife International. Retrieved27 October 2013.
^Hobbs, Joseph J (2004). "Problems in the harvest of edible birds' nests in Sarawak and Sabah, Malaysian Borneo".Biodiversity and Conservation.13 (12):2209–2226.doi:10.1023/b:bioc.0000047905.79709.7f.S2CID34483704.
^abMarcone, Massimo F (2005). "Characterization of the edible bird's nest theCaviar of the East".Food Research International.38 (10):1125–1134.doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2005.02.008.
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