What is a swift?
Q: What is a swift?
A: A swift is a bird in the family Apodidae.
Q: What is the order of swifts?
A: The swift is in the order Apodiformes with treeswifts and hummingbirds.
Q: What is special about the way swifts fly?
A: Swifts are very good at flying and spend all of their time in the air.
Q: Where does the name "apus" come from?
A: The scientific name for the swift (apus) comes from the Ancient Greek word απους, apous which means "without feet".
Q: Why are swifts' feet so small and weak?
A: Swifts have very small, weak feet because they primarily use them to hold on to vertical places, not for walking on the ground.
Q: Can swifts fly up if they land on the ground?
A: Yes, although it is often thought that if they land on the ground, they cannot fly up again, but that is not true. They can take off but with difficulty.
Q: What type of places do swifts use their feet to hold on to?
A: Swifts use their feet to hold on to vertical places such as the wall of a house or a cliff.
