Swifts on the ground? (1 Viewer)

i noticed a thread a while back (not sure where) - the OP had found a Common Swift on the ground and the advice given by a couple of posters, among other things, was to take it outside and leave it on the ground. The general advice about finding young birds does not apply to Swifts.

Swifts can and do ground themselves occassionly around buildings at nesting time (likely first time breeders/fledglings) their comparatively long pointed wings, small bodies and very short legs means they can not get airbourne very easily from the ground unless very flat ie without vegetation etc (they are designed to ‘perch vertically’!) They prefer to fly down to fly up. If they are definitely uninjured, then holding it up to moving air on the palm of your hand will help them. If it is uninjured it will fly.

Please ignore standard advice for baby birds when it comes to Swifts! A baby Swift fledged too early and left on the ground will not survive, parents will not land to feed it and needs to be taken into immediate specialised professional care if it is to have a chance of being rehabbed successfully.

Years ago, I found my first Swift on the ground and not knowing what to do, took it to an old gardener I knew across the road. He took one look at it and to my utter shock, tossed it gently up into the air and the bird flew strongly away but that’s not really the standard advice these days!

I'll confirm that I've launched grounded swifts at least three times from a first floor balcony here at school, and all three times they've flown off strongly.