If birds had an Olympic event for endurance, the common swift (Apus apus) would take home the gold—without even landing to collect it. This unassuming little bird holds one of the most mind-blowing records in the animal kingdom: it can stay airborne for nearly a year straight without touching the ground.

The Ultimate Frequent Flyer

Common swifts are built for aerial domination. With sleek, scythe-shaped wings and a body designed for gliding, they can eat, drink, mate, and even sleep—all while flying. Scientists tracking these birds discovered that some individuals stayed aloft for 10 months straight, covering tens of thousands of miles as they soared over Europe and Africa.

But how do they sleep while flying? Swifts enter unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, meaning one-half of their brain naps while the other stays awake to navigate. Imagine dozing off mid-flight and waking up in a new country—without ever missing a wingbeat!

Why Don’t They Land?

Unlike most birds, swifts are terrible at walking. Their legs are so short and adapted for clinging to vertical surfaces that they avoid touching the ground altogether. Instead, they spend nearly their entire lives airborne, except for brief nesting periods.

By the time a swift is four years old, it may have flown over a million miles—that’s the equivalent of two round trips to the Moon!

Nature’s True Jet-Setters

While other birds migrate in seasonal waves, swifts are perpetual travelers, chasing endless summer skies. If you spot them in the evening, streaking across the sky like tiny fighter jets, know that they’re likely in the middle of an aerial journey that has no equal in the animal world.