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Plain Swift
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Coast (very rare).
Diet: Aerial insects.
Best time to spot: All-dark; Macaronesian.
When to look
A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in Rare birds in the UK.
How rare is it?
The Plain Swift sits in our Legendary tier for the UK: a major rarity, where any record is big news. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Little SwiftLegendary · Cliffs (very rare vagrant)
- White-rumped SwiftLegendary · Cliffs (very rare)
- Pallid SwiftRare · Coast
- Pacific SwiftLegendary · Open sky (extreme vagrant)
- Common SwiftCommon · Skies above towns
- Elegant TernLegendary · Coast (very rare)
Kit that helps
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