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Photo by Glen Tepke
Santa Cruz, California, USA, July 2006

Chaetura vauxi

Includes: Ashy-tailed Swift

[edit] Identification

10.7 to 11.2 cm

• Dusky black head, upperparts and wings
• Grey brown underparts, rump and tail coverts
• Paler grey throat (whiter in northern birds)
  

Sexes similar Juveniles: dusky bases to the throat feathers

[edit] Distribution

North, Central and South America
North America: Canada, British Columbia, Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and Washington
Central America: Mexico, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama
South America: Venezuela

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

Six subspecies are recognized:

• C. v. vauxi:

• Locally from south-eastern Alaska to south-western US; winters to Guatemala

• C. v. gaumeri:

• South-eastern Mexico (Yucatán Peninsula) and Cozumel Island

• C. v. tamaulipensis:

• Eastern Mexico (south-western Tamaulípas and south-eastern San Luis Potosí)

• C. v. richmondi:

• Southern Mexico to Costa Rica and extreme western Panama (Chiriquí)

• C. v. ochropygia:

• Eastern Panama

• C. v. andrei:

• Northern Venezuela

Andrei was formerly regarded as full species, Ashy-tailed Swift.

An additional subspecies warneri is generally considered invalid^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Mountains and foothills, mainly above 700 m, forests and towns.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The cup-shaped twiggy nest is built in a tree hole or cliff crevice. The clutch consists of 3 white eggs.

[edit] Diet

Includes flying insects, such as beetles, wasps, termites and flying ants.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links