Common swifts are migratory . Their summer breeding range runs from Portugal and Ireland in the West across to China and Siberia in the East . They breed as far south as Northern Africa ( in Morocco and Algeria ), with a presence in the Middle East in Israel , Lebanon and Syria , the Near East across Turkey , and the whole of Europe as far north as Norway , Finland , and most of sub- Arctic Russia . Swifts migrate to Africa by a variety of routes , ending up in Equatorial and Sub- Equatorial Africa , excluding the Cape . Common swifts do not breed on the Indian Subcontinent . Subjects of a geolocator tracking study demonstrated that swifts breeding in Sweden winter in the Congo region of Africa .[ 1 1 ] Swifts spend 3 – 3 1 / 2 months in Africa and a similar time breeding - the rest is spent on the wing , flying home or away . Unsuccessful breeders , fledglings , and sexually immature year-old birds are the first to leave their breeding area . Breeding males follow next , and finally the breeding females . The breeding females stay longer in the nest to rebuild their fat reserves . The time of departure is often determined by the light cycle , and begins at the first day of less than 1 7 hours light . For this reason , birds further north , for instance in Finland , leave later in the second half of August . These latecomers are rushed through the quickly shortening days in Central Europe and are barely seen by bird watchers . The prevailing direction of travel through Central Europe is south-bysouthwest , and so the Alps do not present a barrier . In bad weather , the swifts follow rivers , because they can find a better food supply there . The population of Western and Central Europe traverses the Iberian peninsula and northwestern Africa . Swifts from Russia and southeastern Europe made a long journey over the eastern part of the Mediterranean . It is unclear where the two groups meet . The western group of swifts mostly follow the Atlantic coastline of Africa — otherwise they would have to cross the Sahara .
Once they arrive at the humid savanna , they turn southeast to arrive at their winter feeding grounds . During the summer in Africa , there is a great bounty of insects for the swifts , since the region lies in the Intertropical Convergence Zone . The swifts have a nearly unbroken presence in the sky . A few swifts , usually some of the sexually immature one year olds , remain in Africa . The majority fly northwards through Africa , then turn east towards their destinations . The birds use low pressure fronts during their spring migrations to exploit the southwestern flow of warm air , and on the return trip , ride northeastern winds on the back of the low pressure fronts . In Central Europe , the swifts return in the second half of April and the first third of May , and like to stay in lowlands and near water rather than in high places . In more northerly regions , the swifts arrive later . The weather along the journey has an enormous influence on the arrival date , so in one region the swifts may come back at varying times year to year . Differences between swifts and swallows [ edit ] The barn swallow and house martin hunt for airborne insects in a manner similar to that of the slightly larger swift , and occasionally mixed groups of the species form . The most noticeable differences between the three types are : The shrill scream of the swift distinguishes itself from the more inconspicuous babbling of the swallow . The narrow sickle-shaped wings of the swift are longer than its body , and its silhouette in the air resembles an anchor . The swift ' s wingbeats are deep and quick , and the swift glides for longer . The swallow ' s flight is more fluttering , and it presses its wings further to the rear during beats . The underside of a swift , with the exception of the white spot under its chin , is entirely dark brown . Swallows show a beige-white underside . They can also be recognized by the long forks in their tails .