White-throated Swift

Aeronautes saxatalis

Explore this bird

Identification

17 cm (7") Fairly common. Western mountains, rocky canyons, cliffs, open sky.

Boldly patterned black and white swift with a long forked tail. Associates with Violet-green Swallows.

Song: shrill twitter.

Details in the field

3 photos

Credit: Julio Mulero

Credit: Bruce Cyg

Watch and learn

2 videos

White throated swift

Credit: Ignacio A. Rodríguez

White-throated Swift

Credit: kittycornersd

Where it lives

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

2 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 4

What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Forked · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Swallow-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:284-white-throated-swift:1:1 Source: 284 White-throated Swift, row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 2

What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Forked · Unknown
Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Swallow-like
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:284-white-throated-swift:2:1 Source: 284 White-throated Swift, row 2