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DISCUSSION

Descriptions of these roost sites represent an important addition to the literature because they document characteristics of trees used by swifts for roosting under natural conditions. Booth roost trees were 200-300 years old and were situated in old-growth stands. The age or structural components of the stand may not in themselves be critical to the swifts. However, suitable roost trees are most likely to occur in old-growth stands because of the large diameter and the decay conditions of the trees. Such trees are becoming increasingly rare as more stands are intensively managed for timber. Manuwal and Huff (1987) report that the Vaux's swift showed the strongest positive association of all spring birds with old-growth stands in the Washington Cascade Range. More information is needed on other aspects of habitat use for nesting and roosting by the Vaux's swift in western forest ecosystems. Clearly, the …