White-throated Swift
(Aeronautes saxatalis)

Overview

Summary

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In Canada, the White-throated Swift occurs only in southern British Columbia, where it was first recorded in the early 1900s (Cannings et al. 1987). The species is not well monitored in Canada, but information from the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia and other sources indicate a continuing expansion of the breeding range, which suggests that there has been a large increase in the population since 1970. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1970-2016)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation

Conservation and management

There are currently no known major threats to White-throated Swifts in Canada. However, the species may be vulnerable in Canada because of its small population. Like all swifts, they are susceptible to stress during periods of inclement weather both on breeding and wintering grounds (Ryan and Collins 2000).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.M. Cooper, G.W. Kaiser, and M.C.E. McNall. 1990. The Birds of British Columbia, Nonpasserines: Diurnal Birds of Prey Through Woodpeckers. Vol. 2. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, B.C..
• Cannings, R.A., R.J. Cannings, and S.G. Cannings. 1987. Birds of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC. 420 pp.
• Cannings, R.J. 2015. White-throated Swift. In: Davidson, P.J.A., R.J. Cannings, A.R. Couturier, D. Lepage, and C.M. Di Corrado (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia, 2008-2012. Bird Studies Canada. Delta, B.C. Cannings, R.J. 2015. White-throated Swift. In: Davidson, P.J.A., R.J. Cannings, A.R. Couturier, D. Lepage, and C.M. Di Corrado (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia, 2008-2012. Bird Studies Canada. Delta, B.C. (Link)
• Ryan, T.P. and C.T. Collins. 2000. White-throated Swift (Aeronautus saxatalis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Ryan, T.P. and C.T. Collins. 2000. White-throated Swift (Aeronautus saxatalis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)