One of the heralds of summer, Swifts grace the skies between April and August. They fly at high speeds often at high altitudes, catching insects over the Solway mosses.
Swifts are a sooty brown colour, with long, scythe-like wings and short, forked tails. They also have white throats and dark beaks. It is often their screaming calls that give them away.
Swifts never land; they even sleep in the air, shutting off one half of their brain at a time. This is because they have evolved very short legs, so if they land for too long they cannot get up enough speed to take off again.
