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Key information: Common Swifts start arriving in Cyprus by end of February and they are one of the first migrants that set off for Africa, as early as July. They nest exclusively in cities and villages, under roof tiles or in holes of buildings. They eat, drink, sleep and mate in the air. They can be seen and heard during the early evening hours, as they fly in screaming flocks. It is one of the fastest birds in the world.

Length: 17 – 18,5 cm

Habitat: Towns and villages, farmland, mountains and forests

When they can be seen: Spring, summer

What they eat: Invertebrates

In Cyprus: Can be seen all over Cyprus, mostly in inhabited areas.

Status: Migrant breeder, passage migrant

Illustration by Paschalis Dougalis