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3 October 2026

Some birds travel thousands of kilometres during migration.

That alone is remarkable.

But imagine doing it while sleeping.

The common swift spends much of its life in the air. It feeds, drinks and even mates while flying. Researchers have also found evidence that swifts can sleep during flight, taking very short periods of rest while remaining airborne.

Think about the difference between that and our idea of sleep.

We look for a bed.

A swift looks for the sky.

It can spend months away from land, riding air currents and travelling enormous distances.

There is something almost poetic about an animal that seems to have no fixed address.

We measure our journeys by airports, railway stations and hotel rooms.

The swift measures its life by the movement of the air.

Perhaps that is why some birds make us look at the sky differently.

We see empty space.

They see a road.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com