Swifts

In bulk, Alpine Swifts are over twice as big as Swifts and so they make an even more impressive spectacle when they whirl in flocks low over their breeding sites. The sight and sound of them screaming low over the streets of Istanbul is particularly memorable. Apart from their greater bulk, Alpine Swifts can be told from other swifts by the striking white patch on the belly and the fact that the rest of the plumage is much browner than on other swifts. Beware that some 'swifts with white bellies' turn out to be partial albino swifts so check that the belly is neatly defined, that the plumage is brown, not sooty, and, if you can, try to see the white throat patch which would be diagnostic of Alpine Swift.