The tiny, narrow-winged Vaux’s Swift is found only in the western hemisphere. In the words of Mr. Swift – Schwitters, our speaker, “Because of its anatomy, a swift is unable to perch and so needs a rough, vertical surface to hook its claws into; it then puts its tail down like a kickstand.” The high-flying lives of these long-distance migrants are largely spent coursing swiftly through the air, moving along routes that extend from British Columbia, through the western states and into at least Central America.
Following three decades as a teacher in the public schools, Larry Schwitters became totally engrossed with the Vaux’s Swift, and for some 20 consecutive years, has carefully followed their movements (that’s 36 migrations and documentation of 200 roost sites) and more, assisted by an ever-expanding legion of observers.
Since 2019, Larry has taken the lead in revising Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World. on Vaux’s Swift. Birders World magazine covered his work in an article titled, “46 Minutes of WOW.” Larry is the recipient of the National Audubon Society’s 2023 National Volunteer of the Year Award. We are in for a tour-de-force presentation on these wee birds whose territory ranges from the Yukon to Guatemala!
Go to WOS’s Monthly Meetings page to access the meeting via Zoom: https://wos.org/monthly-meetings/