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What Do Swifts Eat?

In 2010 samples of swift chick droppings were sent away for analysis to find out what insects adult swifts were feeding to their chicks. It must be assumed the adults are feeding on the same insect species. The droppings were collected from below nests. These were fresh but dried by the sun. Lough Neagh is 1 mile / 1.5km from this colony. Thanks goes to Marian James for taking the time to analyse the insect fragments to produce this amazing list of insects.

Swift colony locations

A. Country swifts living beside Lough Neagh – my house 1 mile / 1.6km from the shore of Lough Neagh

Chironomids 25.7% � non biting midges e.g. Lough Neagh fly
Aphids 18.0% � greenfly, blackfly
Psyllids 11.6% � sap sucking insects
Lonchoptera 11.5% � small spear-winged flies
Coleoptera 11.1% � water beetles
Phoridae 0.8% � hump-backed flies (resembling fruit flies)
Sciaridae 0.7% � fungus gnats
Dolichopodidae 0.4% � long-legged flies
Muscids / Calliphorids 0.4% � house / stable / blow flies
Scathophagidae 0.3% � dung flies
Hemiptera 2.1% � bugs
Tipulid 0.1% � craneflies

with traces of
Hymenoptera � small solitary wasps
Coccinellidae � 11 spot ladybird

B. City swifts living in the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast � 20km / 12 miles from Lough Neagh
Thanks to Sue Swift for analysing insect fragments in the droppings
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Diptera (S.O.Nematocera) Chironomidae (non-biting midges) 16.8%
Hemiptera (true bugs) No further classification 12.0%
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Scathophagidae (dung flies) 11.8%
Hemiptera (true bugs) Aphidae (aphids) 10.9%
Hymenoptera (wasps) Ichneumonidae 7.6%
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Muscidae/Calliphoridae 7.4%
Hemiptera (true bugs) Psyllidae (jumping plant lice) 7.3%
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Lonchopteridae� 6.8%
Hymenoptera (wasps) Platygasterodae 4.6%
Coleoptera (beetles) Scarabaeidae (chafers) 3.3%
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Sciomyzidae 1.7%
Diptera (S.O.Nematocera) Tipulidae (craneflies) 1.7%
Coleoptera (beetles) No further classification 1.6%
Lepidoptera (moths) No further classification 0.9%
Coleoptera (beetles) Coccinellidae (ladybirds) 0.9%
Hymenoptera (wasps) Cynapidae (gall wasps) 0.9%
Hemiptera (true bugs) Delphacidae (plant hoppers) 0.9%
Hymenoptera (wasps) No further classification 0.8%
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Phoridae 0.6%
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) No further classification 0.6%
Coleoptera (beetles) Hydroptilidae (water beetles) 0.6%
Coleoptera (beetles) Dytiscidae (water beetles) 0.3%
C. Droppings collected from a swift colony in Dervock in 2018
Thanks to Sue Swift for analysing insect fragments in the droppings
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Hymenoptera (wasps) Ichneumonidae 92
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Muscidae (house flies) 77
Coleoptera (beetles) Scarabaeidae (chafers) 76
Hemiptera (true bugs) No further classification 68
Diptera (S.O.Nematocera) No further classification 62
Coleoptera (beetles) No further classification 42
Diptera (S.O.Nematocera) Tipulidae (craneflies) 36
Hemiptera (true bugs) Aphidae (aphids) 31
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) circular seamed flies No further classification 23
Neuroptera (lacewings) Hemerobiidae (brown lacewings) 20
Hemiptera (true bugs) Cicidellidae leaf hopper 19
Hymenoptera (wasps) Cynapidae (gall wasps) 19
Diptera (S.O.Nematocera) Chironomidae (non-biting midges) 17
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha Calliphoridae (blowflies) 13
Lepidoptera (moths) No further classification 9
Hemiptera (true bugs) Psyllidae (jumping plant lice) 9
Hymenoptera (wasps) No further classification 8
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Lonchopteridae spear-winged flies 8
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Sciomyzidae marsh flies 5
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Opomyzidae 5
Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Syrphidae (hoverflies) 3
Diptera (S.O.Nematocera) Scatopsidae dung midges 3
D. Kinawley County Fermanagh
collected June 24th 2019 4km to Lough Erne / 650m to Cladagh River
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Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) No further classification 121

Hemiptera (true bugs) No further classification 100

Diptera (S.O.Nematocera)� mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, black flies 65

Trichoptera (caddis flies) No further classification 48

Scathophagidae (dung-flies) 44

Muscidae (house flies) 40

Tipulidae (craneflies) 37

Chironomidae (non-biting midges) 36

Hemiptera (true bugs) Aphidae (aphids) 34

Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Lonchopteridae� 30

Coleoptera (beetles) No further classification� 21

Scarabaeidae (chafers)� 18

Trichoptera (caddis flies) Limnephilidae 18

Calliphoridae (blow flies)� 6

Coccinellidae (ladybirds) 6

Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Lauxaniidae 3

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  • F � Springhill, Moneymore

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    Hemiptera (true bugs) No further classification 142

    Diptera (S.O.Nematocera� mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, black flies) No further classification 87

    Aphidae (aphids)� 78

    Scathophagidae (dung-flies) 65

    Muscidae (house flies) 55

    Chironomidae (non-biting midges) 50

    Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) circular-seamed flies No further classification 50

    Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Lonchopteridae� spear-winged flies 47

    Lepidoptera (moths) No further classification� 43

    Coleoptera (beetles) No further classification� 32

    Scarabaeidae (chafers) 20

    Tipulidae (craneflies) 6

    Cynapidae (gall wasps) 6

    Diptera (S.O. Cyclorrhapha) Phoridae hump-backed flies 4

    Psyllidae (jumping plant lice) 3

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