eWestern Birds
The Quarterly Journal of Western Field Ornithologists
Idaho Black Swifts
R. Kasten Dumroese, Mark R. Mousseaux, Shirley Horning Sturts, Daniel A. Stephens, Paul A. Holick
ABSTRACT: The Black Swift (Cypseloides niger) was first confirmed breeding in Idaho in 1997 and 1998 when four and five pairs, respectively, nested near Shadow and Fern falls along the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River, Shoshone County. Nest sites were on cliffs composed of argiltite within the large Precambrian Belt Supergroup geologic formation and associated with a narrow riparian strip of western redcedar and devil's club. The microcommunity along cliff faces consisted of a variety of mosses, liverworts, and ferns. We analyzed all Black Swift sight records for Idaho, finding that 78% were from the breeding season and most breeding-season records (96%) were associated with the Precambrian Belt Supergroup.
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