High overhead at the top of the rimrock in Oregon's desert country, the White-throated swift swoops, soars, and darts about erratically, hunting and catching insects. At great speed, it disappears into a crevice on a cliff without appearing to slow down. Its long, strong claws enable it to crawl deep inside these crevices to roosting and nesting areas, which often cannot be seen from the entrance.

This bird is a locally common to abundant breeder, primarily on eastern Oregon cliffs. It is an occasional spring and sporadic fall migrant in western Oregon along the coast, in the Willamette Valley, and on the western slope of the Cascades.

Hear the call of the White-throated swift

Photo by Julio Mulero, Flickr