Last Chance Audubon program - public invited. Searching for Black Swifts, or "swifting", is not for the faint of heart. The sheer beauty of their waterfall habitat alone causes palpitations, not to mention bear-country bush-whacking, miles of paddling, slippery creek-bed navigation, and scree-slope rock skiing. Amy Seaman will describe her search for the elusive Black Swift which took her up high and under waterfalls in survey trips to Glacier National Park. She will discuss the Black Swift's distribution, unique nesting behavior, and its status in Montana. The state's surveys include Montana Audubon efforts over the last three years in Glacier Park which is home to the majority of swift colonies that we are aware of in Montana. Amy will share what has been learned about how to survey in Montana's remote backcountry, photos of beautiful waterfalls, interesting facts, and plenty of speculation about what we know about "the coolest bird".

Amy Seaman came to Montana Audubon in 2013 where she works on the Important Bird Area (IBA) Program and myriad other bird conservation projects including the annual Long-billed Curlew surveys in the Helena area. In 2015, Amy became the lead lobbyist at the Montana Legislative session in Helena. Amy earned her M.S in Biology in 2012 at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her teaching experiences are varied, but include several semesters assisting field ornithology. Avian studies have been a focal point for Amy, taking her to Montana locations such as the Madison and Missouri Rivers, Charles M. Russell NWR, Bitterroot Valley, Glacier National Park, far eastern Montana and the Bridger Mountains.
Photo credit: Amy Seaman