Cypseloides niger
The American Black Swift, *Cypseloides niger*, is a captivating aerial master, cloaked in a striking sooty-black plumage that shimmers with a subtle iridescence. This medium-sized swift, measuring 17-18.5 cm (6.7-7.3 inches) in length with a wingspan of 40-43 cm (15.7-16.9 inches) and weighing 40-50 grams, is distinguished by its long, broad, scythe-like wings and a slightly notched or squared tail. Its uniform dark coloration, sometimes with a slightly paler throat or underwing, sets it apar...
Breeds in remote, high-elevation mountain environments characterized by steep cliffs, deep canyons, or coastal bluffs, almost exclusively near or behind roaring waterfalls. Forages widely over diverse landscapes including forests, open country, and water bodies.
Primarily aerial insectivores, feeding on a wide variety of flying insects including bees, wasps, ants, flies, beetles, moths, and lacewings, captured exclusively on the wing.
American Black Swifts are profoundly aerial, spending the vast majority of their lives on the wing, often flying at great heights. They roost communally in inaccessible rock crevices or behind the veil of waterfalls, emerging at dawn to forage. Their foraging strategy involves continuously sweepi...
The American Black Swift exhibits a fascinating and disjunct distribution across the Americas, encompassing three recognized subspecies. The North American subspecies (*Cypseloides niger borealis*) breeds in the mountainous regions of western North America, from southeastern Alaska and British Co...
Vulnerable
- The American Black Swift is one of the few bird species known to consistently nest directly behind or adjacent to waterfalls, using the mist and spray for camouflage and protection. - Despite its wide distribution, it lays only a single egg per breeding season, a rarity among birds of its size....