Searching for Black Swift Nests in BC

Biologists' Paul Levesque and Christine Rock's Oct 2017 research paper; "Searching for Black Swift (Cypseloides niger) Nests in Southern British Columbia" was recently published in "The Canadian Field-Naturalist." This follows a research paper that Paul wrote, for the "Northwestern Naturalist" on the same topic in 2015.

It is extremely interesting to read about one of our most secretive breeders and sadly endangered species in the province. Paul and Christine ended up finding a couple of active nests in Whistler and Squamish. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists Black Swifts as endangered due to large population declines but the federal government has no plans to list them. Recently the Barn Owls have been scheduled to be uplisted to threatened. Let's hope Black Swifts will be listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA),  so that they can have a recovery and action plan and some hope to recover in BC and AB. Since Canada holds 80% of the population the responsibility is on us.


You can read the full text HERE and download it HERE

Black Swift on nest in Ouray, Colorado - Photo: Mike Yip (used with permission)

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