Breeding

Breeding is reported from May to July on Cuba (Garrido and Kirkconnell 2000), and from March-May on Hispaniola (Keith et al. 2003). Antillean Palm-Swift nests in small colonies in palms that retain dead fronds that hang to the trunk, including palms of the genera Roystonea (Keith et al. 2003; but see Olson 1981), Sabal (Lack 1976), Copernicia (Olson 1981), and Washingtonia (Garrido and Kirkconnell 2000). Less commonly, nesting also is reported in the thatched roofs of sheds (Raffaele et al. 1998) and attached to rock in a small sea cave (Kirwan et al. 2002). The typical nest is attached to the outside of a hanging, dead palm frond. The nest is shaped like a hanging pouch, with the nest cup sitting at the bottom of the pouch, is composed of plant fibers and feathers, held together with saliva (Raffaele et al. 1998, Garrido and Kirkconnell 2000).  The eggs are white (Raffaele et al. 1998,, Garrido and Kirkconnell 2000). The clutch size is 2-5 (Raffaele et al. 1998), although Garrido and Kirkconnell (2000) report only 2-3 egg clutches from Cuba). Chicks receive biparental care.