| The northern black swift (Cypseloides niger borealis) is an insectivorous bird which nests in small colonies in western North America. Previous research has focused almost entirely on nesting locations, and foraging habitat is largely unresearched due to the difficulty of detecting foraging black swifts. We conducted focused black swift surveys in the southern Sierra Nevada and collected records from previous surveys in Colorado. During these surveys we collected data on six aspects of black swift nesting microhabitat: Water flow, vertical relief, aerial access, shade, nesting niches, and moss cover. Scores for each of these variables were summed to provide a total microhabitat score. We also summed the total area covered by standing water and wetlands within five kilometers of each colony, as standing water and wetlands are a major source of prey in the form of emergent insects. These two scores were used as independent variables in a logistic regression to determine their relative effect on the occurrence of black swifts at each colony. Our results suggest that foraging habitat is not a driver of nesting site selection, but further data should be collected including radio telemetry data from breeding black swifts. |