BioSample

The common swift is a member of the swift family (Apodidae). Swifts, which are the closest relatives to hummingbirds, are highly aerial, insectivorous birds that appear boomerang-shaped in flight. During the 10-month non-breeding season, common swifts fly constantly and presumably even sleep while flying; a study that equipped swifts with data loggers documented over 300 days of continual motion in some individuals. Blood and tissue samples were collected by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology from an injured adult individual that had been tended to by a wildlife rehabilitator. It had been found after a stormy day in Munich in late May 2017, a few weeks after the return of most swifts to their European breeding grounds after wintering in Africa. Common swifts breed in many cities, and growing public awareness and conservation efforts help protect preferred nesting places, often under the eves of old buildings.