Apus melba - Alpine Swift
Feather characters. Barbules are rather short (0.72-0.89 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and partly pigmented (less than 50%) internodes. At low magnifications, barbules look like dark, heavily pigmented threads. Concentration of pigment decreases distally. Borders between cells are visible, but hardly swollen and thus too small to qualify as nodes. These nodal structures (24-30 per mm) have about the same size along the entire length of the barbules, only slightly decreasing towards the tip. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are mostly located on proximal end of barbules on both sides of the pennulum.
Field characters. Size 22 cm. Weight 104 g (76-120) (Dunning, 1993). Like a huge Swift with white belly. White throat often difficult to see from distance. Plumage lighter brown than Swift. In flight somewhat reminiscent of Hobby. Flight strong and fast. Usually in flocks, but in mountains often seen in ones and twos.
Voice. Flocks give a long rising and falling trill. Also single 'skrii'.
Distribution. Common summer visitor. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Mainly found in mountainous areas, both in remote places and in towns at mountain-foot. Also along sea-cliffs. Covers larger distances per day than Swift.
Food. Flying insects and airborne spiders.