The Alpine Swift, unlike other birds that can also reach dizzying speeds, they are able to fly and reach 200 km/h but horizontally, not vertically.

Their brownish tail and white parts can identify the Alpine Swift. They have very long and narrow wings, reaching a total length of just 20 cm and a wingspan of 60 cm. A unique characteristic about the Alpine Swift is that they have very short legs, which do not allow them to land on the ground. In this type of bird, both sexes are equal in size. Their habitats are mostly mountains and cliffs. They spend summers in Europe, where they breed, and then migrate to Africa for the winter.

Their most prominent feature and the main reason for which the Alpine Swift is known, is the time that it can fly without landing at all, being a total of six months. This happens during its migration path to Africa. It is estimated that in one day, it can travel from 600 to 1,000 km. Surprisingly, these birds feed and sleep while they fly, amazing thing to be imagined by humans. They can sleep while flying by reaching very high altitudes at night and where they are completely out of sight then they start planning and sleep until dawn. Some studies performed indicate that these birds spend much time in the air to reduce the risk of predation or disease. As another peculiarity about the Alpine Swift, is that it is believed that when food is scarce or they go through adverse weather conditions, they are able to go into a sleep mode on the flight itself, consuming less energy and getting to survive in this manner up to 5 days.

It is said that the Alpine Swift is the most perfect flying machine, since they can reach speeds up to 200 km/h, change direction in an incredible way and go into their nests at surprising speeds. This is due to the fact that it is the bird with the most aerodynamic anatomy out of all of them. In fact, they are so adapted to the air that they are not used to moving on the ground, since their short legs are practically useless.

They feed on insects (wasps, ants...) and hunt spiders while they fly. They do so by flying with their mouth open. Their nesting process, which takes place in colonies and nests, is as follows: They lady 2-3 eggs in May and both parents incubate for about 20 days. The chicks remain in the nest for 60 days and then they start to fly. These nests are always placed at high altitudes so they can drop precipitously and start flying whenever they leave the nest. If the nest was not placed at a high altitude, they would not be able to start flying since they are not capable of using their legs to walk or run and take flight. This is not an endangered species and they have widely scattered colonies within the regional geography.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_swift

http://www.arkive.org/alpine-swift/tachymarptis-melba/

http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/birds/Apodiformes/Apodidae/Tachymarptis-melba

http://www.fact-index.com/a/al/alpine_swift.html

http://www.critters360.com/index.php/bird-facts-alpine-swift-pigeon-2782/