The Yearly Return of the Black Swifts

Black Swifts 

April and May is spring migration time.  This annual journey to breeding grounds in North America can be clearly seen, as the number of migratory birds on island steadily decline. There are some exceptions to the norm, as is the case with Black Swifts (Cypseloides niger).  These birds, instead of heading north, fly to breeding sites in the West Indies.  One such nesting site can be found on the east coast of our island, nestle in a hard to reach sea cave in the sea cliffs of Bell Point, St. Philip.  Black Swifts are listed as “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This is because the species is undergoing a rapid decline throughout its North America range. The reasons for the decline is uncertain but one of the biggest dangers to migratory birds, animals in general, is the loss of habitat.  It is even more so a problem for bird species like Black Swifts, who are known to have a high nest-site loyalty (Collins and Foerster 1995), which means that these birds will return to the same site for nesting every breeding cycle. That is why I am encouraged by the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plan, drafted by the Coastal Zone Management Unit .  Some of the directives with in the plan can inadvertently protect the sea caves at Bell Point, thus protecting the nesting site of this vulnerable species, and trust me, migratory birds need all the help there can get.   So If you’re out and about in the Skeet’s Bay Area, or along the East Coast Road or gazing over the vista at Melvin’s Hill, St. Joseph you just may see them, these masters of flight – the Black Swifts.