White-throated Swift
White-throated Swift
Aeronautes saxatalis
At a Glance
Around rocky cliffs and canyon edges in the west, little groups of these elegant swifts go hurtling past the crags, calling in shrill voices. This species has been claimed to be one of our fastest flying birds, and any observer who has seen them pass at close range will believe it. White-throated Swifts are very wide-ranging, probably foraging in the air many miles from their nesting sites at times.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Swallow-like Birds, Swifts
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Desert and Arid Habitats, Forests and Woodlands, High Mountains, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Region
California, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Erratic, Rapid Wingbeats, Swooping
Population
3.200.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Northern breeders move south in fall. Found all year in much of southwest (only swift likely to be seen in North America in winter). During cool winter weather, may become torpid to conserve energy.
Description
6-7" (15-18 cm). Our only swift with white and black pattern. Tail longer than in other swifts, and slightly forked. Violet-green Swallow, often seen flying in same areas, is similar but has shorter wings, slower flight, lacks black stripe on side below wing.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, White
Wing Shape
Long, Narrow, Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Long, Notched, Pointed, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
A prolonged series of grating notes, jee-jee-jee-jee-jee.
Call Pattern
Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Scream, Trill
Habitat
Open sky, cruising widely. May be seen in the air over virtually any western habitat, wherever there might be flying insects. Breeds in crevices in cliffs, mostly in dry mountains and canyons, locally on sea cliffs.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the White-throated Swift
Behavior
Eggs
4-5, sometimes 3-6. White, often becoming stained or spotted in the nest. Incubation is probably by both parents, about 20-27 days.
Young
Apparently fed by both parents. Young are probably able to climb about inside nesting crevice before they are old enough to fly. Age at first flight may be about six weeks.
Feeding Behavior
Forages only in flight. May forage high or low, depending on weather conditions. Typically seen foraging in flocks.
Diet
Flying insects. Feeds on a wide variety of flying insects, including flies, beetles, true bugs, wasps, and others. May feed heavily on winged adult ants during an emergence of these insects.
Nesting
Many details of nesting remain poorly known, partly because the nest sites are so inaccessible. Courtship involves aerial displays; birds also mate while in flight, sometimes joining and then tumbling down for hundreds of feet. Nest site is usually in narrow vertical crevice in high cliff. Sometimes nests in crevices in buildings. Same site may be used for many years. Nest is shaped like shallow half saucer; made of feathers, weeds, grasses, glued together and to wall of crevice with the birds' saliva.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
Like other swifts, could be affected by overuse of pesticides. Currently common and widespread, numbers apparently stable.
Climate Threats Facing the White-throated Swift
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.