Swift
Apus apus
An all-black body with long curved wings and a short forked tail.
Habitat: look for groups of birds flying over meadows and between buildings.
Distribution: throughout the UK, except for the north of Scotland.
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Swift (northeastwildlife.co.uk)
Not to be confused with
Swallow
Swallows have much longer tail streamers and a red throat. (Amy Lewis/WTML)
House martin
House martins have a pure white underside. (blickwinkel/Alamy)
Sand martin
Sand martins have dark brown upper parts and a dark chest bar. (northeastwildlife.co.uk)
