swift (bird of family Apodidae)
General term for swifts, a family of fast-flying birds. Often written in katakana.
Swifts are birds that fly very fast.
fork-tailed swift; Pacific swift
Specifically refers to Apus pacificus, a migratory swift species found in East Asia.
The fork-tailed swift comes to Japan as a summer bird.
common swift; European swift
white-rumped swift
Katakana spelling is common for this bird name; usually written in kana.
Kanji form is rare and may not be widely recognized; learners should use the kana spelling.
From 雨 “rain” and 燕 “swallow,” with 燕 read つばめ. The name compares the swift with a swallow and associates it with rainy weather.