History and Mythology
This constellation is invisible to most of the northern hemisphere, and it first appeared in Johann Bayer's Uranometria (1603). Bayer gives credit for its discovery to Amerigo Vespucci and other explorers. The name has nothing to do with birds of paradise, but that is it's common name (much like Ursa Minor and the Little Dipper). Apus is in fact the name of a genus of European swifts that appear to be footless when they are in flight because of their short legs. apous in Greek is 'footless' which would at least partly explain the genus of the swift.
Stars
alpha-Spectral Type-K5 III Magnitude-3.8 Distance-220 ly
beta-Spectral Type-K0 III Magnitude-4.2 Distance-135 ly
gamma-Spectral Type-K0 IV Magnitude-3.9 Distance-46 ly
delta-This is a relatively easy double that can be seen with a small telescope Spectral Types-M4 III K5 III Magnitudes-5.3 4.7 Distances-360 ly 425 ly This Double is a visible double because of the amount of space between them
Star Clusters-NGC 6101 is a globular cluster of 10th magnitude located about 6 degrees north of beta Apus. It is about 25,000 ly away. IC 2299 is another globular cluster of 11th magnitude located 4-5 degrees south of alpha Apus. It is about 59,000 ly away.
Nebulae-None that can be easily seen
Galaxies-None that can be easily seen