ID Keys: Black upperparts, wings, and tail. White throat, breast,
and white stripe down a black belly.
The
White-throated Swift is a species of the western U.S., generally found
around canyons and cliffs where they breed. In recent decades, they
have also begun to utilize highway overpasses and crevices in buildings for
nesting. However, they may be found in almost any habitat in the West,
as birds forage many miles away from their nesting location. They have
been called the fastest of all flying North American birds, reaching speeds
that may be in excess of 200 miles per hour.
Habitat
Can be found in nearly any
habitat with available flying insects. They primarily breed on cliffs and
canyons, however, and occasionally in crevices of buildings.
Diet
Feeds on flying insects.
Behavior
Forages exclusivity while in flight.
Nesting
June and July in South Dakota. The
nest is a shallow, half-cup made of vegetative material and feathers, bound
together with the bird's own saliva. The nest is placed in a
protected, usually inaccessible location, such as a vertical crevice in a
rocky cliff face. The female lays between 4 and 5 eggs, and both parents
help to incubate the eggs. Upon hatching, both parents help tend to
the young.
Song
A ringing he-he-he-he-he
Migration
Summers in the western United States. Winters in the Southwest U.S.,
Mexico, and Central America.
