Cypseloides niger

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDS: locally from southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, and southwestern Alberta south through the Pacific states to southern California; northwestern Montana, Colorado, Utah, northern New Mexico (Johnson 1990), and southeastern Arizona (Knorr and Knorr 1990); locally in highlands from Nayarit, Puebla, and Veracruz south to Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica; locally in the West Indies in Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent (Sibley and Monroe 1990). WINTER RANGE is poorly known; northern populations may winter in South America, and the supposedly resident populations in Middle America and the Antilles may in fact also winter in South America, though direct evidence is lacking (Stiles and Negret 1994).

Length: 18 cm

Weight: 46 grams

Systems

• Terrestrial

Comments: Aerial; forages over forests and in open areas. Nests behind or next to waterfalls and wet cliffs (Michael 1927, Knorr 1962, Foerster and Collins 1990), on sea cliffs and in sea caves (Vrooman 1901, Legg 1956), and occasionally in limestone caves (Davis 1964). Nests in dark inaccessible sites with unobstructed flight path (Knorr and Knorr 1990). Nest site persistence and tenacity almost absolute (Knorr and Knorr 1990). Nest is a cup-like structure of mud, mosses and algae.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Breeding populations in U.S. and Canada make long migrations to winter range.

Comments: Feeds on insects (e.g., flying ants, caddisflies, mayflies, beetles, flesh flies, hymenopterans). Catches insects in the air, often at great heights. Often forages with other swifts at leading edges of rainstorms (Costa Rica, Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Comments: In Jamaica, regularly descends to lowlying coastal areas to feed for the first hour or two after dawn (Lack 1976).

Maximum longevity: 16.1 years (wild)

One egg is laid in June-July. Nestling is altricial. Young fledges in 45 days. Nests in small colonies.

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4B - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4B - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Reasons: Large numbers occasionally are seen in migration and they breed over a large area. However, breeding sites are very localized. Too little is known to call the species secure.

Global Short Term Trend: Relatively stable (=10% change)

Global Protection: Few (1-3) occurrences appropriately protected and managed