The swifts are a family of highly aerial birds (0) THAT people think belong to the same family 1 swallows. This is not true, because they are, 2 fact, more closely related to hummingbirds. It cannot be denied that there are some strong similarities 3 swifts and swallows. This is due to some coincidences in evolution, 4 reflect similar lifestyles based on catching insects in flight. Although there are many candidates 5 the title of the fastest birds in flight, the winner would definitely be the swift. Scientists have investigated this, and proved that the larger species are amongst 6 fastest fliers in the animal kingdom, and the common swift can cover enormous distances in a single year. This ability is 7 to the fact that their bodies are perfectly designed to fly fast, because their wings have large wingtip bones compared to other birds, and they have perfectly aerodynamic bodies. This allows 8 to alter the shape and area of their wings while in flight, and to take advantage of any wind currents they might find.