Alpine Swift
Tachymarptis melba
The Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba) is a common swift found in 109 countries, weighing about 100 g. The alpine swift is a species of swift found in Africa, southern Europe, and Asia.
About the Alpine Swift
The alpine swift is a species of swift found in Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. They breed in mountains from southern Europe to the Himalayas. Like common swifts, they are migratory; the southern European population winters further south in southern Africa. They have very short legs which are used for clinging to vertical surfaces. Like most swifts, they never settle voluntarily on the ground, spending most of their lives in the air living on the insects they catch in their beaks.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Alpine Swift sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Djibouti, Eritrea, Barbados, Bermuda, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Benin, China, Guernsey, Iceland, Kosovo.
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, with peak activity in April. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- What does an Alpine Swift look like?
- The alpine swift is a species of swift found in Africa, southern Europe, and Asia.
- How big is an Alpine Swift?
- The Alpine Swift is a medium sized bird weighing about 100 g.
- Where can you see an Alpine Swift?
- The Alpine Swift occurs in 109 countries, including Spain, South Africa, France, Türkiye and India.
- What does an Alpine Swift sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Alpine Swift on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Alpine Swift?
- The Alpine Swift is most easily confused with the Mottled Swift.
- Is the Alpine Swift endangered?
- The Alpine Swift is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Alpine Swift for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.