The biological family that includes swifts, a group of small, swift-flying birds with rapidly-beating wings, tiny feet, and remarkable aerial agility adapted for catching flying insects.
From Greek kypsele (small box/case) + -idae (taxonomic family suffix), Latinized naming convention established in 1840s ornithology to classify bird families scientifically.
Despite their similar appearance, swifts (Cypselidae) and swallows are not closely related—this is a spectacular example of convergent evolution where unrelated species evolved nearly identical body shapes and hunting strategies to exploit the same ecological niche of aerial insect hunting.
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