A prehistoric genus sometimes assigned to the swifts, Primapus (Early Eocene of England), might also be a more distant ancestor.

Species

There are around 100 species of swifts, normally grouped into two subfamilies and four tribes.

Cypseloidinae
:*Tribe CypseloidiniApodinae
:*Tribe Collocaliini - swiftlets
:*Tribe Chaeturini - needletails