For the past two summers, we’ve been lucky enough to have swallows nest in our outbuilding and thus observe these fascinating birds almost at arm’s length. At a glance, swallows and swifts, both graceful fliers, look much alike. But swifts — like this Chimney Swift — have longer, slimmer wings and short bodies, enabling them to glide for long periods. Martins vs Barn Swallow vs Chimney Swits Post by Bob » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:36 pm I know Purple Martins spend their winters in South America and I am pretty sure Barn Swallows … Cannot comment on its merits vs the swallow - but in chrome it is significantly less than half the price of a Ti Swallow. Not sure I see the point of the Ti versions - if you are choosing a brooks you are choosing comfort / style / tradition rather than ultimate weight performance - so I struggle to justify the £ … The Swift on the other hand is their newest design and does look more modern. Or so I believe. Territorial tree swallows and bluebirds can prevent purple martins from establishing new colonies, but martin hobbyists have developed an excellent procedure, linked to here, for reducing competition. The Swallow is a much older design which apparently came about in ye olde days when road racers wanted a lighter saddle so Brooks sawed the sides of their B17. Like many other beginner birdwatchers though, for years I struggled to confidently pick a swallow from a swift. And when my children started to ask whether ‘those birds’ were swallows or swifts, I knew it was time to do my research! From their website: BROOKS ENGLAND LTD " Brooks range of racing saddles includes a variety of models for gents and ladies: the B15 Swallow our most elastic saddle, the Swift a slightly stiffer saddle, featuring partially cut-away flaps, the Team Professional and the B17 Narrow, our stiffest saddles, the Team Pro S and its titanium version, the Finesse, for ladies. When done properly all 3 species can nest nearby.