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Vaux's Swift

Chaetura vauxiOrder: APODIFORMES Family: Swifts (Apodidae)
Codes: Common Name: VASW Scientific Name: CHAVAU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178002
Least Concern
 
Vaux's Swift
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Overview

Vaux's Swift: Small swift, gray-brown body, sometimes highlighted by slight green iridescence. Rump is pale brown, throat and breast are nearly white. Bill, legs, feet are gray-black. Flight is low and fast, alternates bursts of quick fluttery wing beats with short glides. Catches insects in flight.


Range and Habitat

Vaux's Swift: Breeds from southeastern Alaska and Montana to central California. Spends winters in the tropics. Preferred habitats include old growth coniferous or deciduous forests consisting of coniferous and deciduous vegetation; requires large, hollow trees for nesting.

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Topo Map: Swallow-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chip-chip-chip-cheweet-cheweet"

Interesting Facts

 The Vaux's Swift is the smallest swift in North America. They have more varied calls than others in their genus.

 They roost communally, by the hundreds or sometimes thousands, presumably to conserve heat. They let their body temperature drop and become torpid on cold nights, reviving in the warmth of day.

 It is named for William S. Vaux, a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences and a friend of John K. Townsend, who first described the species. The name is pronounced "vawks," not "voh."

 A group of swifts are collectively known as a "box", "flock", "screaming frenzy", and "swoop" of swifts.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

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Range Map for Vaux's Swift

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Family Swift (Apodidae)_blue
Species Chaetura vauxi
Length4 - 4.5 Inches
Wingspan11.5 Inches

Vaux's Swift

Vaux's Swift: Small swift, gray-brown body, sometimes highlighted by slight green iridescence. Rump is pale brown, throat and breast are nearly white. Bill, legs, feet are gray-black. Flight is low and fast, alternates bursts of quick fluttery wing beats with short glides. Catches insects in flight.

● Song: "chip-chip-chip-cheweet-cheweet"

● Foraging & Feeding: Vaux's Swift: Eats insects and spiders; forages in flight.

● Breeding & nesting: Vaux's Swift: Three to six white eggs are laid in a nest made of small sticks cemented together with saliva and attached to the inside surface of a hollow tree. Incubation ranges from 18 to 20 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Vaux's Swift: Black-and-white-throated Swift has forked tail. Chimney Swift is larger with longer wings, darker rump and throat, and a different call.

Flight Pattern

Fast low flight.
Vaux's Swift Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Vaux's Swift: Breeds from southeastern Alaska and Montana to central California. Spends winters in the tropics. Preferred habitats include old growth coniferous or deciduous forests consisting of coniferous and deciduous vegetation; requires large, hollow trees for nesting.
BreedingMonogamous, Loose colonies
PopulationFairly common
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.6 Ounces
Swallow-like BodyX
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX