250 Birds of Colorado 



White-throated Swift. Aeronautes melaTioleitcus. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 425— Colorado Records— Allen 72, p. 151 

 {Panyptila melanoleuca) ; Aiken 72, p. 206 ; Minot 80, p. 231 ; Stone 

 81, p. 67 ; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 196 (Cypsehts aaxatilis) ; Drew 85, 

 p. 17 ; Morrison 88, p. 107 ; 89, p. 145 ; Lowe 92, p. 101 ; 94, p. 268 ; 

 Bendire 92, p. 185 ; Cooke 97, pp.19, 86, 208 ; Henderson 03, p. 235 ; 06, 

 p. 109 ; 09, p, 232 ; Oilman 07, p. 154 ; Markman 07, p. 156 ; Rockwell 

 08, p. 165; Cary 09, p. 181. 



Description. — General colour black, rather glossy on the back ; lores, 

 a narrow eyebrow, edge of the outer primary, tips of the inner secondaries, 

 whole of the chin, sides of the face, throat and fore-breast, continued 

 as a narrow line down the middle of the belly, and patch on the flanks, 

 white ; bill black, feet yellowish. Length 6-5 ; wing 5-8 ; tail 2-5 ; 

 culmen -2 ; tarsus •45. 



Distribution. — Western North America from California, Montana 

 and South Dakota, south through western Texas and Mexico to Guate- 

 mala ; a resident in southern California and Arizona ; north of this a 

 simamer bird. 



The White-throated Swift is far from uncommon in Colorado, where 

 there are cliSs and inaccessible rocks suitable for nesting. It reaches 

 EI Paso CO. from the south about the second week in April, though a few 

 were seen as early as March 24th by Allen and Brewster. 



The following are known breeding places : Pawnee Buttes (Hender- 

 son), Boulder co. (Gale), Horsetooth Mountain, 7,000 feet, near Fort 

 Collins (Cooke), Garden of the Gods, Glen Eyrie and Cheyenne Cafion, 

 all close to Colorado Springs (Allen & Aiken), Wet Mountains to 10,000 

 (Lowe), Breckenridge (Carter), Book CliiTs coal mine, near Grand 

 Junction (Rockwell), Silverton (Anthony apud Bendire). It breeds 

 indifferently from the plains up to 12,000 feet, and often wanders to 

 the highest summits. 



Habits. — Like other Swifts this species is a bird of rapid 

 and powerful flight, seldom seen low down except in 

 cloudy or damp weather. Their loud, shrill titter can 

 often be heard about rock pinnacles and cliffs, where 

 they are very numerous, circling round and flashing 

 past with incredible speed. They make their nests 

 in the cavities of the cliffs, in places that are practically 

 inaccessible, so that although the bird is far from scarce 

 their nests and eggs are almost unknown. It is said 

 to be a saucer-like structure, made of shreds of bark 



