What Bird Has No Legs? Sky Kings with Virtually No Limbs

As a lover of open-world adventures, I‘m fascinated by animals that can soar great distances without touching the ground. If you‘ve wondered "what bird has no legs?" the answer is swifts! These avian acrobats have tiny stubs for feet and spend nearly their entire lives on the wing.

Born to Fly

Just as eagles and hawks rule the fantasy RPG skies, swifts dominate the real-world airspace. Swifts flawlessly maneuver through the air at blistering speeds of over 100 mph. Their stiff, curved wings and streamlined bodies are honed for aerial agility stats human engineers can only envy.

But while eagles and hawks must descend to earth to rest and refuel, swifts virtually never land except to breed and nest. They even sleep at heights of over 10,000 feet! According to scientists, swifts can spend an utterly unrivaled 10 months in continuous flight without touching down [1]. These sky kings are perfectly adapted for life in their aerial realm.

Minimalist Legs

Swifts boost their flying efficiency by ditching any unnecessary weight – and that includes their legs. Swifts have tiny shrunken feet with sharp claws for clinging onto sheer cliffs and walls.

• Their legs account for just 1.4% of their total body weight [2]
• A swift‘s legs are a mere 0.25 inches long – probably shorter than your thumbnail!

So if you spot a swift rocketing past, you likely won‘t even glimpse their minute feet. Swifts only use them for securing a nesting spot, not for walking or perching. By minimizing leg mass, swifts max out their speed and maneuverability stats.

In-Flight Feeding & Mating

Swifts have mastered the aviation arts, even eating and mating on the wing:

• Their wide mouths allow them to snatch insects in midair.
• They guzzle raindrops to stay hydrated while flying at up to 6,000 feet.
• They perform their entire courtship ritual during flight, including mating in midair!

In the avian world, no other birds can rival the swifts‘ non-stop flight capabilities. Swifts put Lara Croft to shame, endlessly raiding the skies for sustenance. Their stupendous stamina leaves scientists astonished.

Swifts have small legs and feet adapted for perching and clinging, not walking

Aerial Masters: Swifts vs. Swallows

Don‘t confuse these in-flight efficiency experts with their lookalike cousins, swallows. Though their silhouettes match, swifts take to the air far more extremely:

While swallows must descend to solid ground regularly, swifts shame even perpetually-gliding albatrosses by conquering the skies. If swallows have runner stats, swifts are olympic marathon fliers!

Hummingbird Hover Hackers

Hummingbirds match swifts in pushing the boundaries of flight. Using a helicopter-like hovering ability, hummingbirds can also power straight up, down, backwards and upside down!

These thumb-sized sparkling fliers set bird world records for:

• Highest wingbeat rate – up to 80 beats per second!
• Largest relative heart size – 4.2% of their total body weight
• Smallest egg size – half a coffee bean!

Hummingbirds too have miniscule feet for perching, not walking. So both hummingbirds and swifts prove that ground travel is for noobs – hardcore avians rule the skies!

Weird & Wonderful Birds

For sheer evolutionary inventiveness, birds have crafted more varied aerial and terrestrial playstyles than any RPG universe. Here are some other bird specs that top leaderboards for weirdness:

If the avian kingdom formed a battle royale arena, my money would be on swifts for the victory royale. Their flying skills put even mythical beasts like dragons to shame!

So whether you‘re grinding levels in Skyrim or the real world, watch the skies for these fleet feathered falcons. Just try to catch a glimpse of their nearly non-existent legs as they streak past!