THE SWIFT 



[ORDER : Coraciiformes. FAMILY : Cypsdidce. SUBFAMILY : Cypselince] 

 PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 



[F. C. R. JOURDAIN. F. B. KIRKMAN. W. P. PYCRAFT. A. L. THOMSON] 



S W^ I F T [Apus dpus (Linnaeus). Cijpselus dpus (Linnaeus). Deviling, squealer, 

 longwing, black-martin, devil-screamer, screecher. French, martinet noir ; 

 German, Mauersegler ; Italian, randone], 



1. Description. The swift is readily distinguished by its uniform sooty black 

 coloration and the great length of the wings. The sexes are alike, and there is no 

 seasonal change of plumage. (PI. 78.) Length, 7 in. [177mm.]. The adult is of a sooty 

 black colour, the upper parts, save the wings and tail, having a faint bronze-green 

 sheen. The under parts are also sooty black, but lack the metallic green reflections, 

 while the throat is of a dull white. The juvenile plumage differs from that of the 

 adult in that the feathers of the forehead have white fringes, giving a hoary appear- 

 ance, while the major coverts and remiges have a narrow edging of white, [w. p. p.] 



2. Distribution. A summer visitor to the European continent, ranging as 

 far north as lat. 70 in Scandinavia and Archangel in Russia. Two or possibly three 

 local races, whose limits are as yet imperfectly known, probably replace it in the 

 Mediterranean region, and others inhabit the temperate regions of Asia, south to the 

 Himalayas. In the British Isles it is widely distributed, but is scarce and uncertain 

 in its appearance in N. Scotland, and rare in the Outer Hebrides and Skye, while to 

 the Orkneys and Shetlands it is only a straggler. To Ireland it is a common summer 

 visitor, and Ussher states that it is now much in evidence even on the west side. 

 During the winter months our birds migrate to Africa, passing over the whole 

 continent and ranging south to Madagascar, Natal, and Cape Colony. [F. c. R. J.] 



3. Migration. A summer visitor to the British Isles. The south of Europe is 

 often reached by early March, Lapland not till June. Between these two extremes 



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