In Tel Aviv in Israel, at a latitude of 32°05' north, the first few Swifts arrive around Feb. 11th like a reconnaissance party. The advance guard arrives around Feb 23rd, a few days before the main group around Feb 28th. All leave about 97 days later, around June 7, which makes this bird a spring bird in Israel rather than a summer one. 2250 km north, in Berlin in Germany, at a latitude of 52°30', the corresponding dates are April 24th for the first Swifts, May 7th for the advance guard, and May 11th for the main group. A further 330 km to the north at Skurup in south Sweden, at a latitude of 55°28', the dates are May 4th, May 16th, and May 23rd, respectively. 1350 km further north still, at Dokkas in Swedish Lapland, at a latitude of 67°03’, the dates are May 22nd, for the first birds, and June 10th for the main group of breeders.
(Sources. Berlin: Ornithologische Arbeitsgruppe Berlin (West) (1992), Voigt (1994); Dokkas: Leidgren (1985), Skurup: Holmgren (by letter), Tel Aviv: Tigges (2001); see bibliography APUSlist.)
Thanks to many contributors, here are some more arrival dates. Names printed with a year indicate the date of publication, please see http://www.commonswift.org/bibl_english.html for full details. Dates given originally in the Old Russian Calendar (pre- 1918) have been converted to the modern calendar. The notation of the dates is as follows: day.month.year and the figures given after the dates refer to the numbers of Swifts counted.
|
Contributors/Source |
Country |
Location |
Median date |
Date |
|
Alexander 1927 |
I |
Latium |
|
28.03.1914 |
|
Alexander 1927 |
I |
Rome |
|
22.03. |
|
Giorgio |
I |
Livorno |
|
5.04.05 first |
|
Stefano Castelli |
I |
Venice |
|
1.04.03 first |
|
R. Ciuffardi |
I |
Casei Gerola, Monza |
|
15.04.01 >100 |
|
Renato Carini |
I |
Chiesuole, Parma |
|
14.04.01 some above water |
|
Renato Carini |
I |
Parma Centre |
|
31.03.03 one |
|
Paola Verganti, Guido de Filippo |
I |
Milano |
|
27.03.01 |
|
Paolo Marotto |
I |
Torino |
|
21.+22.04.01 thousands migrating |
|
Piero Alberti |
I |
Pres de Varese |
|
19.3.01 one |
|
Leonardo Cocchi, Luca Bagni, Giorgio Leoni |
I |
Manzolino, Castelfranco Emilia (Modena) |
|
14.04.01 many above water |
|
Giuseppe Rossi |
I |
Modena |
|
4.04.01 40 |
|
Alberto |
I |
Forlì |
|
10.04.03 first |
|
Alberto |
I |
Forlì and Ravenna |
|
12.04.02 first |
|
Alberto |
I |
Cosenza |
|
23.03.04, first 20-30 ind. |
|
Alberto |
I |
Formia |
|
6.04.04 |
|
Alberto |
I |
Forlì |
|
8.04. one. 9.04.04 some, 13.04. mass |
|
Francesco Mascia |
I |
Elmas (banlieue de Cagliari), Sardaigne du Sud |
|
22.3.01 first |
|
Aldo Borghesi |
I |
Sassari, Sardinia |
|
1.04.01 first 2 |
|
Edward Mayer after Maggie Lucchesi |
I |
Ascoli Picieno, North-East of Rome |
|
20.03.05 first |
|
Anonym |
I |
Manzolino |
|
20.04.01 200 |
|
Cyrille Deliry |
F |
Avenières (38) |
|
10.04.02 15 |
|
Benjamin Vollot |
F |
Stes Maries de la Mer |
|
7/8.04.02 first |
|
Cyrille Deliry |
F |
Rhône-Alpes-Dauphiné 38 - Morestel (Village) |
|
22.04.02 2, 22.04.02 8 |
|
Damien Thiebault |
F |
Anneville-Ambourville (76) |
|
26.04.01 40 |
|
Daniel Arnould, Laurent Barbier, Michel Budzki |
F |
Mont-Bernenchon, zone naturelle |
|
28.04.02 |
|
Daniel Castello |
F |
Tuchan 11, Dep Aude , südl. Narbonne, nördl. Pergignan |
|
4.03.01 one |
|
David Haydock |
F |
Rimbaud à Sin-le-Noble (59) |
|
28.04.02 first 40 |
|
David Haydock |
F |
Douai 59 |
|
29.04.03 first 7 |
|
Dom. Hemery |
F |
Blois sur la Loire |
|
8.04.02 one |
|
Dominique Benoist |
F |
Darnétal/76 |
|
28.04.03 very early |
|
|
F |
Rennes |
|
8.04. first, 22.04. few, 25.04.01 >10 |
|
Edouard Black |
F |
Paris Métro Bonne Nouvelle |
|
23.04.03 2 first |
|
Eric Cordier |
F |
Rennes |
|
8.04.01 one |
|
Eric Dejardin |
F |
Marseille |
|
13.04.03 3 |
|
F. Voisin |
F |
Brétigny sur Orge |
|
25.04.02 6 high |
|
Fabienne Jougleux |
F |
Nanterre 92 |
|
19.04.01 one |
|
Francois Halligon |
F |
la Pointe/Bouchemaine (49), |
|
2.04.01 first |
|
Francoise Gerardin |
F |
Bordeaux |
|
22.04.03 first |
|
Frédéric Malher |
F |
Marais (Paris 75003) |
|
28.04.01 4 |
|
Frédéric Malher |
F |
Paris, Halles |
|
29.04.01 4 |
|
Frédéric Malher |
F |
Paris |
|
20.04.02 1-3 |
|
Frédéric Malher |
F |
Paris |
28.4. N=8 (1996-2003) |
|
|
Frédéric Malher |
F |
Paris |
|
1.05.02 flight into hole |
|
Frédéric Malher |
F |
Paris |
|
23.04.03 first 5 |
|
G. Delcourt |
F |
Les Avenières, Cimetière |
|
10.04.02 15 |
|
Genevieve Delvoye, David Mourier, Olivier Szczyrko |
F |
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade is located quite near Marseille |
|
24.3.02 ? |
|
Georges Olioso |
F |
Montjoyer is located in South of France (Drôme) |
|
18.04.02 one |
|
Georges Olioso |
F |
Châteauneuf-du-Rhône (26) |
|
4.04.01. one |
|
Georges Olioso |
F |
Caumont-sur-Durance, 84 |
|
22.3.03 one |
|
Georges Callaud |
F |
Boulogne/mer |
First usually 10.5. |
29.04.03 20 first |
|
Gérard Joannès |
F |
Petit-Réderching (Moselle) |
|
25.04.01 |
|
Gretl Nardin |
F |
Trévenans (Territoire de Belfort), Ostfrankreich |
|
24.04.02 first |
|
|
F |
Pontivy 56, Bretagne |
|
23.04.01 first 3 |
|
|
F |
Pontivy, Morbihan, center of Brittany, W of France |
|
23.04.01 first 3 |
|
Isabelle Cardot |
F |
Paris 15 |
|
25.04.01 2 |
|
J.C. Bonnet |
F |
Cadouin (24) |
|
8.04.02 1 |
|
J.-F. Voisin |
F |
Brétigny-sur-Orge, Essonne |
28.4. N=20 |
|
|
Jean Baptiste Martineau |
F |
Torcy (77) |
|
21.04.01 first |
|
Jean Baptiste Martineau |
F |
Paris |
|
20.04.01 first |
|
Jean Charennat |
F |
Gélucourt en moselle |
|
30.03.02 |
|
Jean Charles Tombal |
F |
Maroilles (30 km au SE de Valenciennes) |
|
26.04.01 first 3, a little earlier than usual |
|
Jean Charles Tombal |
F |
Hachette/Locquignol (59,HA) |
|
27.04.02 3 |
|
Jean Charles Tombal |
F |
Hecq (59), petit village bocager situé à 25 km au sud-est de Valenciennes |
|
1.05.02 first |
|
Jean Charles Tombal |
F |
Chapeau Rouge à La Groise, à 35 km au sud-sud-est de Valenciennes |
|
14.04.03 2 |
|
Jean-Paul Maistre |
F |
Achères 78 (B.Paris) |
|
17.04.01 2 |
|
Jean-Paul Maistre |
F |
Achères (78) |
|
17.04.01 2, 20.04.01 8 |
|
Jean-Paul Maistre |
F |
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (78) |
|
20.04.02 8 some days later than 01 |
|
Reboussin 1910 |
F |
Blois |
|
16.04.1909 |
|
Reboussin 1910 |
F |
Sarge |
|
26.04.1910 |
|
Paris 1910 |
F |
Dijon 1893-1910 |
M 23.4. N=6 |
|
|
|
F |
Lyon |
|
19.03.05, first |
|
J. Marie Gernet |
F |
Chantilly - Vineuil |
24.04. N=8 |
|
|
John Adams |
F |
Péault (sud-Vendée) |
|
16.04.01 one |
|
Julien Piette |
F |
Pointe de Grave (Gironde) |
|
24.04.03 700 migrants |
|
Mouillard 1938 |
Corse |
Bastia |
|
10.04.33 |
|
Colette Kayser |
F |
Orly (94) |
|
7.05.02 3 |
|
Laurence |
F |
Loir-et-Cher (près de Montoire) |
|
20.04.03 first, 30.04.03 9 |
|
Laurent Kergoat
|
F |
Caprais (30 km nord de Toulouse, 31) |
|
10.04.02 5 |
|
Lionel Courmont |
F |
66000 Perpignan |
|
24.04.01 |