the chimney swift's wings are slender, curved and long, extending as much as beyond the bird's tail when folded. its wingtips are pointed, which helps to decrease air turbulence (and therefore drag) during flight. its humerus (the bone in the inner part of the wing) is quite short, while the bones farther out (more distally) along the wing are elongated, a combination which allows the bird to flap very quickly. in flight, it holds its wings stiffly, alternating between rapid, quivering flaps and longer glides. its flight profile is widely described as a "cigar with wings"—a description first used by roger tory peterson. although the bird often appears to beat its wings asynchronously during flight, photographic and stroboscopic studies have shown that it beats them in unison. the illusion that it does otherwise is heightened by its very fast and highly erratic flight, with many rapid changes of direction.