is the sailors, a Famile of the sailor-birds, widespread world-wide and is missing only in the polar-areas. Often, they are confused with the swallows, who belong to a quite different order (the sparrow-birds), however. From these, the sailors differ considerably in physique and way of life.
Characteristics In particular the streamlined torso seems penetrated, the tail usually is shorter and stiffer. With the thorn-tail-sailors (see below), the quills of the tail-feathers stick out as gripping-thorns over the flags. Toes fortified with its 4 with sharp claws, the birds can hold on to vertical walls or tree-trunks and simultaneous with the tail supports. Otherwise, the weak legs and feet don't allow the sailors to sit on a branch or to even jump over the ground. Even from its nests, they can only down-move. So, its habitat is the air. Here the extremely fast planes hunt after insects, mate and mate and look for its Niststoffe. Some types seem to spend (martins) even the night in the flight.
The sailors build its nests in wall-niches and caves predominantly. With both sexes, the saliva-glands are especially strongly increased during the incubation so that the birds can "verleimen" the most different Niststoffe with its secretions. The Salanganen produce so large saliva-quantities that the nest consists at all only of this solidifying secretion. Both parents rear the boys together (martins).
Thorn-tail-sailors (subfamily Chaeturinae)) The types summarized in this group live in the warmer areas the newcomer and the old world with exception of Australia; the most northern and most southern populations participate migratory birds. Here, the fastest birds of the world are to be found. The South American collar-sailors (type Streptoprocne) or the Asian big-sailors (type Hirundapus) should gain speeds of more than 100 km per hour. Not only this number is impressive but rather the experience, if these birds down-fall from big height in smaller groups simultaneously and rise again. One therefore calls "rockets" it in Brazil.
The 5 types are distinguished mainly by the type and selection of the Nistplatzes. The actual thorn-tail-sailors (type Chaetura) from North America prefer unused chimneys or buildings, in order to tack there its nests, but also as sleep-place during its seasonal hikes. Then, they orbit chirps the chimneys in large flocks. A type, the chimney-sailor (Ch). pelagica, was named directly after this way of life. Originally, hollow trees were supposed to have had the same function. The Braunkehl-Stachelschwanzsegler (Ch). gigantea, puts its eggs as one of the biggest and fastest sailor-types on the ground of a tree-cave still today.
Also the appearance-thorn-tail-sailors (type Cypseloides) live in America. they put its nest preferred at stony shore-hillsides at and is tied at the water. Some South American types, Z. B. the gray-head-sailor (C). senex, even broods in the protection of rustling water-cases; they can only reach the nest if they fly through the crashing water. The Nistverhalten of the Salanganen (type Collocalia) is described separately. its nests are regarded as delicacies ("Schwalbennestersuppe") in the Chinese kitchen.
Real sailors (subfamily Apodinae)) The martin and the Alps-sailor count u. a. as birds of our spread-area to this subfamily represented mainly in the old world. they are summarized in a type swallow-sailors (Apus) with 14 further types (Z). B. Pale-sailors, A. pallidus; Kaffernsegler, A. caffer; Weißbürzelsegler, A. affinis. they adapted yourself to the human buildings in its Nistgewohnheiten like the chimney-sailors as well.
Nistbesonderheiten The alto-world-palm-sailors (type Cypsiurus) show an odd Nistverhalten. On the inside of a palm-leaf, also at leaves of bananas or dragon-trees, they stick a small "pillow" from feathers. Also the 1-2 eggs must be glued on with saliva, because from the rimless nest, they would out-roll in the smallest gust of wind. So, the parents can hang only vertically, broods. As well it goes the boys, who must press itself narrowly at the leaf, until they become airworthy.
They use one until hose long to 60 cm out of plant-fibers riser, or Cayenne-Segler (type Panyptila) from means, and South America as well like the Nord-Palmsegler (type Tachura) as Niststätte. This structure hangs down from a rock or building-lead.
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