Swift vs Swallow
How to tell these two garden look-alikes apart.
The quickest tell. Swift: uniformly dark, with no white anywhere. Swallow: long trailing tail streamers.
Photo: Константин Селивёрстов, CC BY (iNaturalist)
Swift
Apus apus
How to spot it
- Uniformly dark, with no white anywhere
- Stiff, scythe-shaped wings held like an anchor
- Short forked tail, all sooty-brown
Birder's tip: All-dark with stiff swept-back wings, no white, unlike a Swallow or House Martin.
Photo: Donald Davesne, CC BY (iNaturalist)
Swallow
Hirundo rustica
How to spot it
- Long trailing tail streamers
- Dark red throat and forehead on a glossy blue-black back
- Creamy underparts, with no white rump
Birder's tip: The long tail-streamers separate it from the white-rumped House Martin.
At a glance
| Swift | Swallow | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | larger than a House Martin | slim, with a long forked tail |
| When you'll see it | Summer visitor | Summer visitor |
| Latin name | Apus apus | Hirundo rustica |
Hear the difference
Their calls are often the giveaway. Have a listen.
Swift call
Swallow call
Learn them so they stick
Learn Birds teaches the UK's birds by sight and song, with real photos and recordings. It uses spaced repetition so the difference sticks for good.
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