ANIMAL ESTATE client 5.1: VAUX'S SWIFT
FOR ANIMAL ESTATE 5.0: PORTLAND
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chaetura vauxi
ANIMAL PROFILE: Often described as "a cigar with wings" due to its small, compact build, Vaux's Swift can be identified by its gray-brown plumage, short bill, and short, square tail, as it is carried by long, slightly curved, and stiff wings in "twinkling" flight. At about 4.5 inches, and with dark gray upperparts, a whitish throat, and a pale gray breast, it bears a similar resemblance to the Chimney Swift, which is commonly found east of the Rockies.
RANGE: A bird of the Northwest, Vaux's Swift can be found in summer months from southeast Alaska to central California. Winters are spent mainly in the tropics of Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela.
HABITAT: Chaetura vauxi tends towards open sky, forest burns, and openings where it spends almost the entire day foraging for insects in the air, what are sometimes described as "aerial plankton." The bird breeds in forests of redwood and douglas fir, and can be found in and around woodlands, lakes, and towns. (link): http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=258
COMMUNITY: These birds nest both in colonies and in solitary pairs. Both adults share responsibility for incubating eggs. Mating and parenting is usually monogamous, but there are reports of three swifts feeding one brood. This suggests cooperative breeding, similar to that seen in the Chimney Swift. (link): http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Chaetura_vauxi.html
HOME CONSTRUCTION: Vaux's Swifts naturally use large hollow snags both for nesting and for roosting during their migrations to and from Mexico and South America. Also, they readily nest and roost in chimneys that have a rough inner surface, but are not always welcomed, particularly with brick chimneys falling out of fashion in new home construction.
Their nests are made of small sticks glued together with saliva into the shape of a bracket, often on the inside of a hollowed out tree or a similar type of space. link
These dwelling places can be accommodated with the construction of a tall, chimney shaped structure, which simulates the purpose of a hollow snag. How to build a chimney swift tower. link
THREATS: In the Northwest region, Vaux's Swifts have been displaced by the loss of mature and old growth forest, which contains many snags, some of which are hollow. Snags are perceived by humans as useless, ugly, and dangerous, so even parks and other forest preserves often are missing the snag component of the forest.
INTERESTING FACTS: Swifts have very short legs that allow them to perch on vertical surfaces. You will almost never see a swift perched horizontally. Their scientific family name means "without feet". http://www.bird-friends.com
Vaux's Swift is the smallest swift in North America.
Vaux's Swifts roost communally, by the hundreds or sometimes the thousands, presumably to conserve heat. They let their body temperature drop and become torpid on cold nights, reviving in the warmth of day.
Vaux's Swifts descend into their roost tree essentially at once, spiraling down in a very dramatic rush at nightfall.
Vaux's Swift 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." link
CHAPMAN SCHOOL SWIFT WATCH: Through the month of September, the Audubon Society of Portland will be at the Chapman School in the evenings with information on Vaux's Swifts. If you are in the area, take part in the local spectacle as the birds dramatically return to their roost at sunset in the school's large brick chimney. map
More information:
A new documentary film to be premiered October 2nd in at Cinema 21 in NW Portland. A benefit for the Audubon Society of Portland. "ON THE WING"
http://www.audubonportland.org/about/events/on-the-wing
RELATED ARTICLES:
Importance of a snag & making alternatives:
"Leave Those Snags and Brush Piles in the Woods"
"Use of nest boxes by Vaux's Swifts" (requires membership to read)
Living with urban wildlife: "Living with Vaux's Swifts" brochure
REFERENCES:
Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Western Birds, 2 nd Ed . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1961.
Animal Diversity Web: So, D. 2000. "Chaetura vauxi", Animal Diversity Web. Accessed August 6, 2008.
Coast Douglas-fir snag (Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. menziesii ) with nesting cavities. link