Aeronautes saxatalis
Silhouette: Aviceda (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The white-throated swift (Aeronautes saxatalis) is a swift of the family Apodidae native to western North America, south to cordilleran western Honduras. Its coastal range extends as far north as Northern California, while inland it has migratory populations found throughout the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain regions, ranging as far north as southern British Columbia. White-throated swifts are found in open areas near cliffs, rock faces, or man-made structures, where they roost. Swifts are social birds, and groups are often seen roosting and foraging for flying insects together.
The white-throated swift is medium-sized bird that is primarily black and white. Its back and wings are blackish-brown or black, and its breast, belly, chin, and throat are white. In newly molted adults, the dark feathers may have a slight greenish sheen, though this is rarely observable in the field. Sexes cannot be distinguished by plumage. Juvenile (first basic) plumage is similar to adult (definitive basic) plumage, but with the feathers on juveniles' heads and necks appearing duller and paler.
Adults are generally 15–18 centimeters in length, and have a tail with a relatively shallow 10... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 15 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Wildlife Center, Malibu | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-throated Swift sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 4,575 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 135th most-seen of the 375 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-throated Swift in San Francisco on a given day, against under 5% in July to March, the lowest months. Those are among San Francisco's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in December.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-throated Swift sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 11
Of the 11 cities where we can rate White-throated Swift sightings, San Francisco ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Sacramento (United States, about 10%), Los Angeles (United States, about 10%) and San Diego (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-throated Swift is recorded against all the birds logged in San Francisco (4,575 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
