# White-throated Swift (*Aeronautes saxatalis*) The White-throated Swift is a fast-flying bird known for its beautiful white throat and sleek body. It loves to zoom around in the sky, catching insects while flying high above mountains and cliffs. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Mountain regions ![White-throated Swift](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/White-throated_Swift_%28Aeronautes_saxatalis%29_in_flight.jpg&width=800) Photo: Michael Woodruff from Spokane, Washington, USA, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White-throated_Swift_%28Aeronautes_saxatalis%29_in_flight.jpg) ## Appearance The White-throated Swift is a slender bird with a sooty black body, striking white throat, and a white belly extending up its flanks. It has long, narrow, pointed wings and a short, squared tail, giving it a boomerang-like shape in flight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Apodiformes - **Family:** Apodidae - **Genus:** Aeronautes ## Interesting facts - Sticky homes! Swifts use their own saliva to glue nests to cliffs. - These birds cannot perch on branches; they only cling to vertical surfaces! - They drink water by skimming over lakes with open beaks in mid-flight! - Young swifts fly perfectly the first time they leave the nest, no lessons needed! ## Special abilities - **Sky Acrobatics:** White-throated Swifts can catch tiny insects mid-air while flying at high speeds because of their agile wings and wide gape. - **Vertical Grip:** White-throated Swifts have strong claws and sticky saliva to cling to sheer rock faces and build nests on vertical cliffs. - **Flight Endurance:** White-throated Swifts can spend most of their lives airborne, even sleeping on the wing, due to their efficient aerodynamics. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 16-18 cm - **Wingspan:** 40-45 cm - **Weight:** 0.028-0.036 kg - **Lifespan:** 4-6 years - **Speed:** 160 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 21-23 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding Tiny flying insects are their main food, caught expertly in mid-air. - **Primary Foods:** flying ants, small beetles, flies, wasps - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — A swift and powerful aerial predator. - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — Often preys on birds caught in flight. - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — May snatch swifts from their roosts at night. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Watch these birds from a distance and enjoy their flying without getting too close. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-throated Swift? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is White-throated Swift? 16-18 cm ### What is White-throated Swift's wingspan? 40-45 cm ### How much does White-throated Swift weigh? 0.028-0.036 kg ### How long does White-throated Swift live? 4-6 years ### How fast can White-throated Swift move? 160 km/h ### What does White-throated Swift eat? Tiny flying insects are their main food, caught expertly in mid-air. ### Where is White-throated Swift usually found? Mountain regions ## Where to spot - [Boyce Thompson Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boyce-thompson-arboretum) — Arizona, US · Botanical Garden - [Descanso Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/descanso-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Garden of the Gods](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/garden-of-the-gods) — Colorado, US · Botanical Garden - [Mount Ecclesia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-ecclesia) — California, US · Historic District - [Bear Creek Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-creek-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see White-throated Swift](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-throated-swift) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [White-throated Swift: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-throated-swift)