Black Swift - Cypseloides niger
Species of Concern
Global Rank:
G4
State Rank:
S1B
Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:
FWP Conservation Tier:
2
PIF:
2
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Copyright by: The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, all rights reserved.
General Description
Black Swifts are the largest of the swifts in North America. They are over 7 inches in length and have wingspans up to 18 inches. As the name implies, Black Swifts are completely dark in appearance. A distinctly notched tail on the adult male is the only difference in appearance between the sexes. They have long, broad-based, and curved wings, similar to hummingbirds. The tail is square and often fanned. Juveniles are similar in appearance to adults, except for the small bands of white present across much of the underbody (neck, belly, and undertail coverts). The wingbeats are slow and shallow, often looking erratic in flight when foraging (Sibley 2000).
Black Swift vocalizations are usually low, twittering chips, often rapidly repeating and slowing down at the end. Call notes are higher, clearer and sometimes similar to the Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra); a sharp "gyp" or "kip" (Sibley 2000).
Diagnostic Characteristics
The coloration of Black Swifts distinguishes them from White-throated Swifts (Aeronautes saxatalis), which have broad white markings on the chin, neck, breast, and sides of the rump. Black Swifts are much larger, have longer tails and are darker than Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi). The same is true in comparison to Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica), which also barely overlaps in range with Black Swifts.
General Distribution
Summary of Observations Submitted for Montana
Number of Observations: 99
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
Breeding
(direct evidence "B")
Breeding
(indirect evidence "b")
No evidence of Breeding
(transient "t")
Overwintering
(regular observations "W")
Overwintering
(at least one obs. "w")
(Records associated with a range of dates are excluded from time charts)
Migration
Little information regarding the migratory patterns of Black Swifts exists for Montana. Birds have been observed in migration as early as May and as late as August (Lenard et al. 2003). All observations of migration or transitory behavior have occurred in the western part of the state, usually in areas where mountainous habitat exists including the Lolo Peak area in Missoula County, Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, and the National Bison Range (Lenard et al. 2003).
Habitat
No specific information regarding Black Swift habitat exists for Montana. Information from other regions indicates they forage over forests and in open areas. They nest behind or next to waterfalls and wet cliffs (Michael 1927, Knorr 1961, Foerster and Collins 1990), on sea cliffs and in sea caves (Vrooman 1901, Legg 1956), and occasionally in limestone caves (Davis 1964). Nests are located in dark, inaccessible sites with an unobstructed flight path (Knorr and Knorr 1990). Nest site persistence and tenacity is almost absolute (Knorr and Knorr 1990). The nest is a cup-like structure of mud, mosses and algae.
Ecological Systems Associated with this Species
- Details on Creation and Suggested Uses and Limitations
How Associations Were Made
We associated the use and habitat quality (high, medium, or low) of each of the 82 ecological systems mapped in Montana for
vertebrate animal species that regularly breed, overwinter, or migrate through the state by:
- Using personal observations and reviewing literature that summarize the breeding, overwintering, or migratory habitat requirements of each species (Dobkin 1992, Hart et al. 1998, Hutto and Young 1999, Maxell 2000, Foresman 2001, Adams 2003, and Werner et al. 2004);
- Evaluating structural characteristics and distribution of each ecological system relative to the species’ range and habitat requirements;
- Examining the observation records for each species in the state-wide point database associated with each ecological system;
- Calculating the percentage of observations associated with each ecological system relative to the percent of Montana covered by each ecological system to get a measure of “observations versus availability of habitat”.
Species that breed in Montana were only evaluated for breeding habitat use, species that only overwinter in Montana were only evaluated for overwintering habitat use, and species that only migrate through Montana were only evaluated for migratory habitat use.
In general, species were associated as using an ecological system if structural characteristics of used habitat documented in the literature were present in the ecological system or large numbers of point observations were associated with the ecological system.
However, species were not associated with an ecological system if there was no support in the literature for use of structural characteristics in an ecological system,
even if point observations were associated with that system.
High, medium, and low habitat quality was assigned based on the degree to which the structural characteristics of an ecological system matched the preferred structural habitat characteristics for each species in the literature.
The percentage of observations associated with each ecological system relative to the percent of Montana covered by each ecological system was also used to guide assignments of habitat quality.
If you have any questions or comments on species associations with ecological systems, please contact Bryce Maxell at
bmaxell@mt.gov or (406) 444-3655.
Suggested Uses and Limitations
Species associations with ecological systems should be used to generate potential lists of species that may occupy broader landscapes for the purposes of landscape-level planning.
These potential lists of species should not be used in place of documented occurrences of species (this information can be requested at:
http://mtnhp.org/requests/default.asp) or systematic surveys for species and evaluations of habitat at a local site level by trained biologists.
Users of this information should be aware that the land cover data used to generate species associations is based on imagery from the late 1990s and early 2000s and was only intended to be used at broader landscape scales.
Land cover mapping accuracy is particularly problematic when the systems occur as small patches or where the land cover types have been altered over the past decade.
Thus, particular caution should be used when using the associations in assessments of smaller areas (e.g., evaluations of public land survey sections).
Finally, although a species may be associated with a particular ecological system within its known geographic range, portions of that ecological system may occur outside of the species’ known geographic range.
Literature Cited
- Adams, R.A. 2003. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West; natural history, ecology, and conservation. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado. 289 p.
- Dobkin, D. S. 1992. Neotropical migrant land birds in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region. Publication No. R1-93-34. Missoula, MT.
- Foresman, K.R. 2001. The wild mammals of Montana. Special Publication No. 12. Lawrence, KS: The American Society of Mammalogists. 278 p.
- Hart, M.M., W.A. Williams, P.C. Thornton, K.P. McLaughlin, C.M. Tobalske, B.A. Maxell, D.P. Hendricks, C.R. Peterson, and R.L. Redmond. 1998. Montana atlas of terrestrial vertebrates. Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT. 1302 p.
- Hutto, R.L. and J.S. Young. 1999. Habitat relationships of landbirds in the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station RMRS-GTR-32. 72 p.
- Maxell, B.A. 2000. Management of Montana’s amphibians: a review of factors that may present a risk to population viability and accounts on the identification, distribution, taxonomy, habitat use, natural history, and the status and conservation of individual species. Report to U.S. Forest Service Region 1. Missoula, MT: Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana. 161 p.
- Werner, J.K., B.A. Maxell, P. Hendricks, and D. Flath. 2004. Amphibians and reptiles of Montana. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company. 262 p.
- Commonly Associated with these Ecological Systems
Alpine Systems
Open Water / Wetland and Riparian Systems
Sparse and Barren Systems
- Occasionally Associated with these Ecological Systems
Open Water / Wetland and Riparian Systems
Shrubland, Steppe and Savanna Systems
Food Habits
Black Swifts feed on insects (e.g., flying ants, caddisflies, mayflies, beetles, flesh flies, hymenopterans). They catch insects in the air, often at great heights and often forage with other swifts at the leading edges of rainstorms (Costa Rica) (Stiles and Skutch 1989).
Reproductive Characteristics
Little information exists regarding Black Swift reproduction in Montana as no systematic surveys have been completed in the state. Information from other areas within the Black Swifts' range indicates they nest in small colonies. A single egg is laid in June to July. The nestling is altricial and fledges in approximately 45 days.
Elsewhere, five factors present at nest sites include water, high relief, inaccessibity, shade, and unobstructed flyways (Knorr 1961). In Montana all nests found conform to this (Hunter and Baldwin 1962).
Management
No active management currently is in place for Black Swifts in Montana. Although decreases in water flow and increased recreational use in areas where Black Swifts nest, or are thought to nest, should be discouraged (Casey 2000).
References
- Additional ReferencesLegend:
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Altman, B. 2003. Inventorying Black Swift nesting populations at waterfalls in the Northern Pacific Rainforest Bird Conservation Region. American Bird Conservancy, Corvallis, OR. - American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. Check-list of North American birds. 7th edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. 829 pp.
- Casey, D. 2000. Partners in Flight Draft Bird Conservation Plan Montana. 281 pp.
- Casey, D. 2004. Coordinated bird monitoring in Montana. Special species monitoring: Black Swift. Prepared for the Montana Bird Conservation Partnership and the University of Montana. American Bird Conservancy, Kalispell, MT..
- Chantler, P. and G. Driessens. 1995. Swifts: A guide to the swifts and treeswifts of the world. Pica Press, Sussex, England. 237 pp.
- Davis, D. G. 1964. Black Swifts nesting in a limestone cave in Colorado. Wilson Bull. 76:295-296.
- Dobkin, D. S. 1992. Neotropical migrant landbirds in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. U.S.D.A. For. Serv. N. Region Publ. R1-93-34. Missoula, Mont.
- Dobkin, D.S. 1994. Conservation and management of neotropical migrant landbirds in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. Univ. Idaho Press, Moscow, Idaho. 220 pp.
- Ehrlich, P., D. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook, A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster Inc. New York. 785 pp.
- Foerster, K. S. and C. T. Collins. 1990. Breeding distribution of the black swift in southern California. W. Birds 21:1-9.
- Hunter, W. F. and P. H. Baldwin. 1962. Nesting of the black swift in Montana. Wilson Bull. 74(4):409-416.
- Hunter, W.F. and P.H. Baldwin. 1972. Black swift nest in Glacier National Park. The Murrelet 53(3):50-51.
- Johnsgard, P. A. 1986. Birds of the Rocky Mountains with particular reference to national parks in the Northern Rocky Mountain region. Colorado Associated University Press, Boulder. xi + 504 pp.
- Johnson, P. W. 1990. Black swift (CYPSELOIDES NIGER) nesting in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. New Mexico Ornithol. Soc. Bull. 18:13-15.
- Knorr, O. A. 1993. Breeding of the Black Swift in the Great Basin. West. Birds 24(3): 197-198.
- Knorr, O. A. 1961. The geographical and ecological distribution of the black swift in Colorado. Wilson Bull. 73(2):155-170.
- Knorr, O. A. 1993. Black Swift (Cypseloides niger) nesting site characteristics: Some new insights. Avocetta 17:139-140.
- Knorr, O. A. and M. S. Knorr. 1989. The black swift in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona. Southwest Nat. 35:559-560.
- Legg, K. 1956. A sea-cliff nest of the Black Swift. Condor 58:183-187.
- Lenard, S., J. Carlson, J. Ellis, C. Jones, and C. Tilly. 2003. P. D. Skaar's Montana Bird Distribution, 6th Edition. Montana Audubon: Helena, MT, 144 pp.
- Marín, M. 1997. Some aspects of the breeding biology of the Black Swift. Wilson Bulletin 109:290-306.
- Michael, C. M. 1927. Black Swift nesting in Yosemite National Park. Condor 29:89-97.
- Schultz, C., and R. Levad. 2002. Black Swift survey protocol. San Juan National Forest and Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Grand Junction, CO.
- Sibley, C.G., and B. L. Monroe. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale Univ. Press, New Haven. xxiv + 1111 pp.
- Sibley, D. A.. 2000. National Audubon Society The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc: New York, NY, 544 pp.
- Stiles, F. G., and A. F. Skutch. 1989. A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Comstock Publ. Associates, Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca. 511 pp.
- Stiles, F. G., and A. J. Negret. 1994. The nonbreeding distribution of the black swift: a clue from Columbia nad unsolved problems. Condor 96:1091-1094.
- Thompson, Richard W., Western Resource Dev. Corp., Boulder, CO., 1996, Wildlife baseline report for the Montana [Montanore] Project, Lincoln and Sanders counties, Montana. In Application for a Hard Rock Operating Permit and Proposed Plan of Operation, Montanore Project, Lincoln and Sanders Counties, Montana. Vol. 5. Stroiazzo, John. Noranda Minerals Corp., Libby, MT. Revised September 1996.
- U.S. Forest Service. 1991. Forest and rangeland birds of the United States: Natural history and habitat use. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Agricultural Handbook 688. 625 pages.
- Vrooman, A. G. 1901. Discovery of the egg of the black swift (CYPSELOIDES NIGER BOREALIS). Auk 18:394-395.
- Weydemeyer, W. 1932. The black swift in Glacier National Park. Condor 34: 100.
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