Black Swifts, so enigmatic was this species that up until 2012 ornithologists still had no idea where the birds wintered. We will seek out these aerial acrobats at Claremont Wilderness Park, the only reliable spot in LA County to find this most mysterious of birds. The swifts are best looked for late in the day and so we will spend a couple of pre-dusk hours seeking them out. On our return towards Pasadena we will make a sundown stop in Duarte to look for displaying Lesser Nighthawks.
Not a morning person? This may be the perfect PAS trip for you!
Participant number: no limit
At the Swifts site, anticipate a slow, uphill/downhill hike on a wide dirt trail (fire road), approximately 2 miles round trip. At the Nighthawks site, the route is mostly paved and level with some short interruptions; distance is approximately 1 mile round trip. Other details are in the sign up confirmation email.
PHOTO: Black Swift (Cypseloides niger). Photo by Luke Tiller.
This field trip is filled. Sign up here and we'll contact you if space opens up.
Sunday, July 19th, 2026
4:45 PM to 9:00 PM
Trip leaders: Darren Dowell, Oliver Huang, Luke Tiller
Black Swifts, so enigmatic was this species that up until 2012 ornithologists still had no idea where the birds wintered. We will seek out these aerial acrobats at Claremont Wilderness Park, the only reliable spot in LA County to find this most mysterious of birds. The swifts are best looked for late in the day and so we will spend a couple of pre-dusk hours seeking them out. On our return towards Pasadena we will make a sundown stop in Duarte to look for displaying Lesser Nighthawks.
Not a morning person? This may be the perfect PAS trip for you!
Participant number: no limit
At the Swifts site, anticipate a slow, uphill/downhill hike on a wide dirt trail (fire road), approximately 2 miles round trip. At the Nighthawks site, the route is mostly paved and level with some short interruptions; distance is approximately 1 mile round trip. Other details are in the sign up confirmation email.
PHOTO: Black Swift (Cypseloides niger). Photo by Luke Tiller.