Common Swift (Apus apus) (Linnaeus,1758) Πετροχελίδονο - Μαυροσταχτάρα - Βίζις - Cyprus

The common swift (Apus apus) is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barn swallow or house martin but somewhat larger. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles. Swifts' nearest relatives are thought to be the New World hummingbirds and the Southeast Asian treeswifts.

Their scientific name comes from the Ancient Greek words α "without", and πούς, "feet". ἄπους, apous, meaning "without feet". These birds have very short legs which they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces (hence the German name Mauersegler, literally meaning "wall-glider"). They never settle voluntarily on the ground, where they would be vulnerable to accidents and predation.

Swifts may nest in former woodpecker tree burrows found in ancient forests, such as some 600 reported nesting in the Białowieża Forest of North Eastern Poland, or the small colony found in a combination of woodpecker holes and tree nestboxes on the RSPB's reserve at the Caledonian Forest in Abernethy, Scotland. While tree holes together with cliffs may have comprised their historic nesting resource, the almost complete removal of ancient forest from their nesting range has resulted in adaption to man-made sites. Swifts build their nests of air-borne material caught in flight, bonded with their saliva, in suitable buildings hollows, such as under tiles, in gaps beneath window sills, and most typically under eaves and within gables. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Athienou by George Konstantinou

Τα πουλιά είναι για μένα σχεδόν όλος μου ο κόσμος καθώς όλη μου την ζωή τα παρακολουθώ και τα μελετώ με πάθος. Τα πουλιά πάντα με ημέρευαν, με ησύχαζαν από τις σκέψεις και με έκαναν ευτυχισμένο. Ιδιαίτερα πουλιά για μένα όμως είναι οι Σταχτάρες που πάντα με συνάρπαζαν ιδιαίτερα. Οι Σταχτάρες είναι αερόβια πουλιά και περνούν όλη τους την ζωή στον αέρα εκτός την εποχή που αναπαράγονται. Στον αέρα τρέφονται, πίνουν νερό, κοιμούνται, ζευγαρώνουν, ακόμα και τα υλικά που φτιάχνουν την φωλιά τους στον αέρα τα βρίσκουν (φτερά και μαλακά άχυρα που τα παίρνει ο αέρας).. Πρόκειται για τα πιο γρήγορα αποδημητικά πουλιά στον πλανήτη και αναπαράγονται στον τόπο μας σε κεραμίδια και τρύπες κυρίως παλιών κτιρίων. Εκπληκτικό είναι το γεγονός ότι όταν τα νεαρά πετάξουν από τις φωλιές τους για πρώτη φορά μένουν στον αέρα για τρία ολόκληρα χρόνια μέχρι να γίνουν αναπαραγωγικά ώριμα και να φωλιάσουν. Έχω παρακολουθήσει αμέτρητες φορές τα πουλιά αυτά αυτή την εποχή να πετούν με ιλιγγιώδη ταχύτητα σε απόσταση αναπνοής από τα κτίρια ξεσηκώνοντας τον κόσμο με τις δυνατές τους φωνές και πάντα νοιώθω την ψυχή μου να φεύγει για λίγο και να πετά σαν αστραπή μαζί τους νοιώθοντας τι θα πει αληθινή ελευθερία.
Γιώργος Κωνσταντίνου

Swifts – My Lifetime Passion

Birds have always been almost my entire world. Throughout my life, I have observed and studied them with passion. They have a remarkable ability to calm me, quiet my thoughts, and bring me a deep sense of happiness.

Among all birds, however, Swifts have always held a very special place in my heart. They have fascinated me more than any other species. Swifts are truly birds of the sky, spending virtually their entire lives in the air, coming to land only during the breeding season. While in flight they feed, drink, sleep, mate, and even collect the materials needed to build their nests. Feathers and soft strands of dry grass, carried high by the wind, are gathered effortlessly without ever leaving the sky.

Swifts are among the fastest migratory birds on Earth. In Cyprus, they breed beneath roof tiles and inside cavities, most commonly in old buildings. One of the most astonishing facts about these birds is that once the young leave the nest for the very first time, they remain continuously airborne for almost three years, only landing when they reach sexual maturity and return to breed.

Countless times, at this time of year, I have stood watching these magnificent birds as they race through the streets at breathtaking speed, passing only a few metres from buildings while filling the air with their piercing calls. Every single time, I feel as though my soul leaves my body for a moment and flies beside them like a flash of lightning, allowing me to experience what true freedom really means.

George Konstantinou