The bird spends the entire day on the wing catching insects on the fly.  It drinks by dipping into lakes and streams during flight and even collects twigs by clipping them off during flight.  At night they can be seen circling above chimneys in large numbers as they funnel in to roost for the night.

The Swift breeds across the eastern United States and the eastern part of southern Canada.  The Swift winters in the tropics as far south as the rain forests of Peru and return to the United States in late spring or early summer.

Courtship rituals seem to include circular flight of three birds with a male leader and a male and female following further back.  This appears to be followed by gliding displays of two birds with the following bird bringing its wings into a V shape and gliding with the leading bird sometimes mimicking this behavior.

The clutch consists of 4 or 5 white eggs in a nest of twigs cemented together with saliva on the inside of an old chimney or steeple.  Both parents incubate the eggs for a period of about 19 days.  Both parents share the duties of bringing food to the hatchlings and take turns brooding as the other goes in search of food.  The young remain in the nest for 14 to 19 days. After leaving the nest the young remain for an additional 2 weeks hanging on the walls near the nest, taking short practice flights, and depending on the parents for food.

Length: 5 1/4 inches