Quite often, people make comparisons of swallows and swifts. The similarities in their appearance are simply amazing. Both families bring together small, if not tiny, birds that spend most of their life in flight. However, despite the apparent external similarity, they belong to different species. If some are part of the Swift-like squad, then others belong to the Passeriformes. And all their similarities are explained by the same way of life. Both species spend it mainly in flight. It is impossible not to notice that the shape of their short beak is approximately the same, making comparisons of swallows and swifts.
The similarity is due to the fact that they both eat, grabbing insects in flight. Therefore, their main food is usually bees, wasps, mosquitoes, flies, termites and even ants. Basically, those insects moving in swarms, flying through which, are guaranteed to stay with prey.
Similarity
We cannot but mention their paws, making comparisons of swallows and swifts. Their similarity is no less surprising. They are short and completely unsuitable for walking on a flat surface, with their help you can only cling to bumps, protrusions and stones, brickwork, cliffs or wood bark.
Aerial hunting requires tremendous speed and excellent maneuverability, you need to be able to do aerobatics in the air , without losing speed. A spindle-shaped body and long narrow wings help them in this. The similarity of swallows with swifts also lies in the fact that both of them cannot boast of large sizes, but they were able to spread around the world.
Compare the birds
Many species of swallows live quite large, but in rare cases, small colonies: some of them live in minks underground, while others build high nests. Close proximity with people helps both sides. Near the houses, the swallows always have something to eat, and winding a nest under the roof is much nicer.
In addition, the presence of man protects them from unexpected attacks by falcons. And swallows and swifts delight each of us with the beauty of flight, a quiet, pleasant murmuring voice and destroy a huge number of harmful insects. Swift bird, photo of which can be seen in many zoo magazines, is one of the most useful birds in our environment.
Interesting note
There is such a sign: if the swallows made a nest under your roof, then you will be happy. In the Arab countries for this they are even called birds of paradise. There is also another old Russian sign: swallows fly low - to rain. However, it would be more correct to call this observation, before the rainfall insects drop lower due to water vapor, and here our birds fall after them.
While people did not settle in the houses, the colonies of these birds were small, but the abundance of food, as well as fairly convenient places for nests, led to the fact that populations began to grow rapidly.
Without an analysis of the ways of living, it is impossible to make complete comparisons of swallows and swifts. The similarity in this case is simply amazing. Not all of them build nests from lumps of earth, but it is impossible to distinguish one from the other. Both species prefer to settle in a mink, hollow or birdhouse.