250 Birds of Colorado 
White-throated Swift. Aéronautes melanoleucus. 
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 (Cypselus saxatilis) ; 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; Gilman 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, edgo 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; « resident in southern California and Arizona; north of this a 
summer bird. 
The White-throated Swift is far from uncommon in Colorado, where 
there are cliffs and inaccessible rocks suitable for nesting. It reaches 
El 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 Cliffs 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 
