Photo: Arran ET / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Vaux’s Swift
Chaetura vauxi
Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi) — Swifts of North America.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Vaux’s Swift (Chaetura vauxi) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 17.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Chaetura
- Species vauxi
Where it lives
Western Canada to northern SA
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Vaux’s Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Vaux’s Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Vaux’s Swift (Chaetura vauxi) is a member of the Apodidae family, within the order Apodiformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA w Canada to n SA.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.1 g, with a wing length of about 11.1 cm and a tail of around 3.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Vaux’s Swift?
The Vaux’s Swift is a small bird that weighs around 17.1 g.
Where does the Vaux’s Swift live?
The Vaux’s Swift is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA w Canada to n SA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Vaux’s Swift belong to?
The Vaux’s Swift (Chaetura vauxi) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Vaux’s Swift eat?
The Vaux’s Swift is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Vaux’s Swift migrate?
The Vaux’s Swift is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Vaux’s Swift endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Vaux’s Swift make?
1 real field recording of the Vaux’s Swift — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Vaux’s Swift's range?
The Vaux’s Swift has a mapped global range of about 2.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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