Birding Swifts - BirdingGuide.com

Home | Site Map | Contact

Welcome to BirdingGuide.com - the definitive information guide to birding and bird watching ... and Computer website related directory

Swifts
» Description: About 5 1/2 inches long, they are dark gray brown, paler on the throat and chest, with long, pointed wings and a short, square tail.
» Habitat: Chimney swifts are found in cities and rural areas. They build a nest in a chimney or near the eaves of a building, attaching a semicircle or twigs to the inside of a chimney with a sticky saliva.
» Foods: They eat insects and spiders which they catch while flying.

Swallow like bird related to the Goatsucker and the hummingbird and found all over the world, chiefly in the tropics. Swifts have long wings and small feet and can perch only on its vertical surfaces. They swoop up insects in their wide mouths while on the wing. Swifts are the most rapid flyers known. In the United States and the common Eastern species is the chimney swift, misscalled chimney swallow. It's spiny tail acts as a prop when it clings to the chimneys and in which it builds its nest of twigs cemented with saliva. In the West are the black Vaux's and white throated swifts . some oriental swifts make their entire nest of a salivary secretion; these nests are used to make birds nest soup. And the common European swift is sometimes called Hawk sparrow.

ORDER	FAMILY	COMMON NAME
» Gaviiformes	» Gaviidae	» Common Loon
» Podicipediformes	» Podicipedidae	» Grebes
» Procellariiformes	» Diomedeidae	» Albatross
	» Procellariidae	» Shearwaters/Petrels
	» Hydrobatidae	» Storm Petrels
» Ciconiformes	» Ardeidae	» Herons/Bitterns
	» Threskiornithidae	» Ibises
	» Ciconiidae	» Storks
» Phoenicopteridae	» Phoenicopteridae	» Flamingos
» Anseriformes	» Anatidae	» Waterfowl
» Falconiformes	» Cathartidae	» Vultures
	» Pandionidae	» Ospreys
	» Accipitridae	» Hawks
	» Falconidae	» Falcons
» Galliformes	» Cracidae	» Curassow
	» Phasianidae	» Pheasants
	» Odontophoridae	» Quail
» Gruiformes	» Rallidae	» Rails
	» Aramidae	» Limpkins
	» Gruidae	» Cranes
» Charadriiformes	» Charadriidae	» Plovers
	» Haematopodidae	» Oystercatchers
	» Recurvirostridae	» Stilts/Avocets
	» Scolopacidae	» Sandpiper/Phalarope
	» Laridae	» Gulls/Terns
	» Alcidae	» Auks/Alcids
» Columbiformes	» Columbidae	» Pigeons/Doves
» Psittaciformes	» Psittacidae	» Parrots
» Cuculiformes	» Cuculidae	» Cuckoos
» Cuculiformes	» Cuculidae	» Roadrunners
» Strigiformes	» Tytonidae	» Barn Owls
	» Strigidae	» Typical Owls
» Caprimulgiformes	» Caprimulgidae	» Goatsuckers
» Apodiformes	» Apodidae	» Swifts
	» Trochilidae	» Hummingbirds
» Piciformes	» Alcedinidae	» Kingfishers
» Coraciiformes	» Picidae	» Woodpeckers
» Passeriformes Part I	» Tyrannidae	» Flycatchers
	» Alauidae	» Larks
	» Hirundinidae	» Swallows
	» Corvidae	» Jays
	» Corvidae	» Crows
	» Paridae	» Chickadees
	» Paridae	» Titmice
	» Sittidae	» Nuthatches
	» Certhiidae	» Creepers
	» Troglodytidae	» Wrens
	» Muscicapidae	» Kinglets
	» Muscicapidae	» Thrushes
» Passeriformes Part II	» Mimidae	» Mockingbirds
	» Motacillidae	» Pipits
	» Motacillidae	» Wagtails
	» Bombycillidae	» Waxwings
	» Ptilogonatidae	» Silky-Flycatchers
	» Laniidae	» Shrikes
	» Sturnidae	» Starlings
	» Vireonidae	» Vireos
	» Coerebidae	» Bananaquits
	» Pycnonotidae	» Bulbuls
» Passeriformes Part III	» Emberizidae	» Warblers
	» Emberizidae	» Sparrows
	» Fringillidae	» Finches
	» Passeridae	» Weaver Finches

Bird rescue & bird adoption; parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds.

Check out our list of local birds broken down by your state and different types of species.

Migrating birds stay on track because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are influenced by the Earth's magnetic field...

   November 19, 2004

ASIAN BIRDS FACE
THREAT OF EXTINCTION
-- Bangkok, Thailand

More than 300 bird specias in Asia are threatened with extinction due to logging, farming and development.

Conservationists along with bird specialists were speaking in Bangkok on the sidelines of the World Conservation Union meeting, attended by 6000 officials, scientists, excutives and environmentalists from around the world...



   November 20, 2004

CUB SCOUTS PROVIDE
NESTING BOXES FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS

Jerry McNair and Terrie Gartman help cub scout, Mason Gartman, build a bluebird nesting house at the Heard Natural Science Museum Wednesday afternoon...

Birding News Sponsor

CONTACT ABOUT US RESOURCES BINOCULAR REVIEWS GROUPS BY STATE NEWS PHOTO GALLERY