Afghanistan (B), Albania (B), Algeria, Andorra (B), Angola, Armenia (B), Austria (B), Azerbaijan (B), Bahrain, Belarus (B), Belgium (B), Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Botswana, Bulgaria (B), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China (mainland) (B), Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Côte dIvoire, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B), Cyprus (B), Czech Republic (B), Denmark (B) (P), Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia (B), Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland (B) (P), France (B) (P), Gabon, Gambia, Georgia (B), Germany (B) (P), Ghana, Gibraltar (B), Greece (B) (P), Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Hungary (B), India (B), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B), Iraq (B) (P), Ireland (B), Israel (B), Italy (B) (P), Jordan (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (B), Latvia (B), Lebanon (B), Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein (B), Lithuania (B), Luxembourg (B), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B), Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta (B), Mauritania, Moldova [Republic of] (B), Mongolia (B), Montenegro (B), Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal (B), Netherlands Antilles (B), Niger, Nigeria, Norway (B), Oman, Pakistan (B), Poland (B), Portugal (B), Qatar, Romania (B), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia (B), Senegal, Serbia (B), Sierra Leone, Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B), Slovenia (B), South Africa, Spain (B), Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden (B), Switzerland (B), Syrian Arab Republic (B), Tajikistan (B), Tanzania [United Republic of], Togo, Tunisia, Turkey (B), Turkmenistan (B), Uganda, Ukraine (B) (P), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (B), Uzbekistan (B), Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Vagrant to Cape Verde, Comoros, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, Seychelles, Somalia, St Helena, St Pierre and Miquelon (NB), Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, USA.
From north-western Europe across Russia to Lake Baikal and north-eastern China. Winters in Africa.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 40,000,000 - 200,000,000 (2010).
Common Swift (Apus apus) [XC642900]
by Ireneusz Oleksik from Osijek, Op\u0107ina Osijek, Osje\u010dko-baranjska \u017eupanija, France (flight call)
Common Swift (Apus apus) [XC736929]
by Alan Dalton from La Mora\u00f1a (near Ar\u00e9valo), \u00c1vila, Castilla y Le\u00f3n, Spain (call, flight call)
Nest
Shallow cup of vegetation and feathers, cemented together with saliva, in a roof space or under eaves. In colonies.
Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Plain Swift (Apus unicolor) and Nyanza Swift (Apus niansae), and has been considered conspecific with both, and also with African Swift (Apus barbatus). Birds breeding in south-western Asia have been separated in subspecies marwitzi, but not widely accepted. Israeli population somewhat intermediate between nominate subspecies and pekinensis.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
apus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Europe, central Asia, east to Lake Baikal and northern Africa.
pekinensis (Swinhoe, 1870) - Iran, east to Mongolia, northern China and western Himalayas.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet