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Black Swift

Black Swift

Cypseloides niger

Migration Flyway

Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Black Swift

The American black swift, or more simply black swift (Cypseloides niger), is a species of bird that is found from northern British Columbia in Canada through the United States and Mexico to Costa Rica and Brazil. They are also found in the Caribbean.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Cypseloides niger
Family
Swifts
Order
Apodiformes

Similar species

Other members of the swifts family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Antillean Palm Swift Tachornis phoenicobia
  • Chestnut-collared Swift Streptoprocne rutila
  • Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
  • Common Swift Apus apus
  • Great Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila sanctihieronymi
  • Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila cayennensis
  • Mariana Swiftlet Aerodramus bartschi
  • Pacific Swift Apus pacificus
  • Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi
  • White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris
  • White-fronted Swift Cypseloides storeri
  • White-naped Swift Streptoprocne semicollaris

Know when the Black Swift turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting Black Swift

Optics

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Cameras for Bird Photography

From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

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Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

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