Bird
Bird
Black Swift
Cypseloides niger
The Black Swift is a large, all-dark swift recorded over Trinidad, part of a genus known for extraordinarily long migratory flights and for nesting behind waterfalls and on damp cliff faces far from the birds' wintering grounds.
The Black Swift is a large, all-dark swift recorded over Trinidad, part of a genus known for extraordinarily long migratory flights and for nesting behind waterfalls and on damp cliff faces far from the birds' wintering grounds.
Identification
A relatively large swift around 15 to 18 cm long, entirely sooty black with only a faint pale forehead in some individuals. Its long, powerful wings and slightly forked tail give it a strong, fast flight distinct from the smaller Chaetura swifts more regularly seen on the island.
Migration
Breeds at high-elevation cliffs and waterfalls in North and Central America and winters in South America; birds recorded in Trinidad likely represent passage migrants moving between these distant breeding and wintering grounds.
Status in T&T
An uncommon passage visitor over Trinidad, generally recorded infrequently during migration periods. Not considered threatened at a global level. It is protected as a migratory species under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
