eWestern Birds
The Quarterly Journal of Western Field Ornithologists
Diet of Breeding White-throated and Black Swifts in Southern California
Allison D. Rudalevige, Dessie L. A. Underwood, and Charles T. Collins
ABSTRACT: We analyzed the diet of nestling White-throated (Aeronautes saxatalis) and Black Swifts (Cypseloides niger) in southern California. White-throated Swifts fed their nestlings on boluses of insects more taxonomically diverse, on average (over 50 arthropod families represented), than did Black Swifts (seven arthropod families, primarily ants). In some cases White-throated Swift boluses contained primarily one species, while other boluses showed more variation. In contrast, all Black Swift samples contained high numbers of winged ants with few individuals of other taxa. Our results provide new information on the White-throated Swift’s diet and support previous studies of the Black Swift.
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