Bird name:

Vaux's Swift

Chaetura vauxi

Order

APODIFORMES

Family

Swifts (Apodidae)

Code 4

VASW

Code 6

CHAVAU

ITIS

178002

Breeding Location:

Forests, coniferous, Forest edge

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Loose colonies

Breeding Population:

Fairly common

Egg Color:

White, sometimes nest stained

Number of Eggs:

3 - 6

Incubation Days:

18 - 20

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Twigs and conifer pine needles held together with saliva.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Vaux's Swift: Small swift with gray-brown body, sometimes highlighted by a slight green iridescence. Rump is pale brown and throat and breast are nearly white. Sexes are similar.

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.

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and Feeding

Vaux's Swift: Eats insects and spiders; forages in flight.

Vocalization

Vaux's Swift: Song is a bat-like chipping.

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.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Rump

The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

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.

Field Guide to Birds of North America