Chimney Swifts

Also see Chimney and Stovepipe Hazards, Chimney Swifts. Earlier posts on this topic are probably found under Other Cavity Nesters.

From: David Gwin
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 9:59 PM
Subject: Chimney Swift Opportunity!

Howdy, All:

For anyone still on the fence about the upcoming 2006 NABS Convention in San Antonio, I just wanted to share with you what an outstanding opportunity you will have at the convention to hear Paul and Georgean Kyle share some of the facsinating work that they have devoted to Chimney Swifts, one of North America's most mysterious birds.

For instance, did you know that Chimney Swifts cannot perch and that they have very "talon-like" claws that allow them to roost on perfectly vertical surfaces ... or ... that while a whole colony will roost in a given chimney, only one pair will be allowed to nest in the bottom one third of that chimney.

On two seperate occassions, I have been fortunate to have attended both a lecture and a half-day workshop with this very devoted team of conservationists. Come take advantage of this rare opportunity to learn about yet another species that desperately needs our help ... you definitely won't be disappointed!

Take care,
David

P.S. - One last tidbit ... most people think swifts are related to martins and swallows ... but, in truth, they are most closely related to hummingbirds!

From: F Lovelett [mailto:flovelett"at"verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 7:31 AM
Subject: RE: Chimney Swift Opportunity!

Paul and Georgean have written two fabulous books: “Chimney Swifts: America’s Mysterious Birds above the Fireplace” and “Chimney Swift Towers” (Texas A & M 2005 available Amazon.com). They have devoted their lives to helping chimney swifts: they’ve raised several thousand orphan swifts, designed swift nest towers and are on a mission to educate both the public (and chimney sweeps) about the plight of swifts.

Many years ago, my husband and I lived across the street from a chimney swift communal roost in a church and would watch hundreds of birds spiral into the steeple tower at dusk. I look forward to the arrival of “my chimney swifts” every May. Until I read the Kyles’ book, I did not realize how much trouble chimney swifts were in: population declines of up to 50% over the past 10-15 years throughout parts of North America. Chimney swifts desperately need help from enlightened chimney owners (and the truly dedicated few able to build swift towers).

If only I could travel, I would go the NABS Convention just to hear the Kyles speak!

Felicia, Sykesville, MD

From: Gretchen Cornnell [mailto:gcornnell"at"diocesecpa.org]
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 7:53 AM
Subject: TRES or Chimney Swifts?

Would TRES roost in a fireplace chimney? The reason I ask - I have a fireplace chimney that is not capped / screened (it came off in the winter and is scheduled for maintenance this summer) and for the past couple of weeks (when I sat by the fireplace in the family room) I would swear I heard wing sounds accompanied with chatter. Well, this past Saturday night it became obvious we had birds in the chimney. So I automatically figured it was chimney swifts (although I can't ever recall seeing chimney swifts in my geographical area). So, last evening when it started to get dusk I went outside to watch my chimney and lo and behold I witnessed 2 birds that looked like TRES going into the chimney. Could that be? Or might they be Chimney Swifts and if so could it be only 2 Swifts, I always thought Chimney Swifts traveled and roosted in hundreds. On Sunday afternoon I opened the flue (?) and looked up into the chimney with a light and I didn't see any nests or anything. Should I be worried? Should I arrange to get the chimney capped ASAP instead of waiting until say July or August?
Gretchen in Central PA (kind of South Central)
gcornnell"at"diocesecpa.org

Hi Gretchen,

There was a great seminar on Chimney Swifts at the recent NABS meeting. We learned that they roost communally but never more than a single pair nest in any one chimney. If there is ANY chance that chimney swifts are nesting in your chimney, capping it now could separate the parents from their nest and eggs or babies.

They are facinating, adorable birds and great insect eaters whose numbers are dropping drastically because of loss of places to nest. At the chimney swift seminar, they showed different kinds of chimney covers that would keep out rain and snow and still allow the chimney swifts to enter. A lot of us were surprised to learn that they have a 12" wingspan since they look much smaller high in the air.

Would it be possible to wait and cap the chimney later in the year and explore a different type of cap? Chimney swifts need as much help as Bluebirds.

Thanks,
Rob Barron

At the NABS meeting San Antonio the Chimney Swift experts say that these birds have declined by more than 90% across much of their original territory. Although many Chimney Swifts will roost in a chimney only ONE pair will ever nest in a single chimney flue. The chimney must be at least 12"X12" for them to fly down to nest. They normally nest in the lower 1/3" of the total chimney height. You should encourage these to nest if possible. To limit noise you can open the damper and pack the opening full of fiberglass insulation, then close the damper again compressing the fiberglass but leave a large sign in the firebox to remind you to open the damper and remove the insulation before lighting a fire for this coming winter!

Most wood fireplace masonry chimney's are now capped or they are made of Stainless Steel metal flue pipe or smooth clay liners. Most of the really huge hollow trees that Chimney Swifts originally nested in are now gone and most of the huge masonry chimneys for coal fired boilers are gone and brick cisterns and old brick wells are now mostly filled in. They are just one more species that returns to America every spring to find fewer places for their children to live. KK

When the last of a species breathes no more, another heaven and earth will have to pass before we meet them again.

Gretchen,

You probably have a pair of chimney swifts nesting above your fireplace.
Swifts are fascinating birds badly need help from bird-lovers willing to share their chimneys for the duration of the nesting season. If you are willing to be a chimney swift landlady, you should leave your chimney uncapped until probably late September/early October and remove the cap in the spring.

Chimney swifts nest in a single pair per chimney. For about a month before fall migration (early October here in Central Maryland), chimney swifts gather by the hundreds or thousands in fall communal roosts. Common roost sites are church steeples, farm silos and abandoned factory stacks.

Swifts are mostly closely related to hummingbirds. Swallows soar and glide, but swifts fly with stiff rapid wing-beats with little ability to maneuver.
If you watch them enter a chimney, you will usually see them make several passes. They must make an approach at exactly the right angle and speed in order to land. Unlike swallows, they cannot perch and must cling to a vertical surface.

Here are some chimney swifts sites:

http://www.chimneyswifts.org/

http://www.ncsg.org/homeowners/savingtheswift.htm

Felicia, Sykesville, MD

Hi, Gretchen,

Just to confuse things, yes. A dark chimney is
a cavity. My barn (really an old cinder block
chicken house) has a brick chimney at the edge
of the building with a stove pipe coming out the
side to an ancient potbelly stove in my workshop.
It's not uncommon for Bluebirds, Tree Swallows,
House Sparrows and European Starlings to explore
the chimney. Starlings end up caught in the old
iron stove. I leave air vents open, vents large
enough for the Bluebirds and Sparrows to escape
into the workshop. I deal with each in the
proper manner. I've seen Tree Swallows explore
that chimney but I've never found a TRES in the
workshop.

We usually have a pair of Chimney Swifts in the
unused chimney in the center of our house and
in the barn's chimney.

> The reason I ask - I have a fireplace chimney
> that is not capped / screened (it came off in
> the winter and is scheduled for maintenance
> this summer) and for the past couple of weeks
> ... I heard wing sounds accompanied with
> chatter. Well, this past Saturday night it
> became obvious we had birds in the chimney.
> So I automatically figured it was chimney
> swifts (although I can't ever recall seeing
> chimney swifts in my geographical area). So,
> last evening when it started to get dusk I went
> outside to watch my chimney and lo and behold
> I witnessed 2 birds that looked like TRES going
> into the chimney. Could that be?

Unlikely but possible, especially if it's an old
chimney with inlets for a second story wood stove
or some other internal cavity.

> Or might they be Chimney Swifts and if so could
> it be only 2 Swifts, I always thought Chimney
> Swifts traveled and roosted in hundreds. ...

They tend to travel and roost in sizable flocks
but nest as pairs, one pair to a chimney.

One key to identification is to watch how they
enter. A Tree Swallow will perch on top of the
chimney (or nestbox or gourd or whatever cavity)
and guard it. Chimney Swifts will dive down into
the chimney without even slowing down. You have
to observe carefully to catch them entering your
chimney.

Another ID key is their twittering chatter which
is pretty unique. Try playing their sounds at
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Chimney_Swift_dtl.html#fig1
and/or
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4230id.html
to see if that's similar to what you're hearing
in your chimney.

When you see Chimney Swifts during daylight, you
won't have any problem telling them from Tree
Swallows. They have a slimmer body and blunt
tail that's completely different. Their flight
is jerky, too, not nearly as smooth and graceful
as TRES.

> On Sunday afternoon I opened the flue (?) and
> looked up into the chimney with a light and I
> didn't see any nests or anything. ...

That doesn't surprise me. I've looked, too. A
CHSW nest is a small cupped shelf made of swift
spit and mud to glue small twigs and animal hair
to the wall of the chimney. From below, it will
look like a small bulge or imperfection in the
wall of your chimney and it'll blend in with the
soot in the chimney. Actually, that's what it
looks like from above, too. Once the swifts
leave for the year, use a spotlight and your
binoculars ... or bother a bird-friendly chimney
sweep with an inspection camera over the summer.

There's lots of information at
http://www.chimneyswifts.org

> Should I be worried? ...

No. Chimney Swifts are fantastic birds, feeding
on the smaller pesky insects that bother humans
like mosquitoes and gnats. I've tried to get a
decent photo of them in flight but they move too
fast and change direction too often.

> ... Should I arrange to get the chimney capped
> ASAP instead of waiting until say July or
> August?

Please wait until late August or early September
for the cleaning and capping, Gretchen. Chimney
Swifts are interesting and useful birds. Their
nest won't harm your chimney and it's likely
that they've already nested in your chimney.

Somewhere on the http://www.chimneyswifts.org web
site, there used to be a booklet for specifically
for chimney sweeps. I couldn't find it tonight.
You might try emailing the webmaster to ask if it
is still available. A bird-friendly chimney
sweep can help you keep swifts coming back. You
may want to invest in an easily removeable /
replaceable cap.

Take care,

R J 'Tree' Greenwood
Catlett VA

From: roy pischer [mailto:tlp4456"at"msn.com]
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2006 9:46 AM
Subject: chimney swifts

A few days ago, I noticed that we suddenly have two pair of Chimney Swifts flying around our barns, fields and yards. This is a lifetime first sighting in a year that, so far, has included many!! I was glad to read in the Stokes Guide this morning that Chimney Swifts will sometime nest under the eaves of barns and old buildings, as open chimneys are scarce around here. Is there anything else I can do to encourage them to nest here??

Trudy Pischer
Willard, MO

From: Gretchen Cornnell [mailto:gcornnell"at"diocesecpa.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 7:48 AM
Subject: OT Chimney Swifts

Just had to share this with all of you - we have Chimney Swift babies! This is so exciting, EABL (4) babies in the backyard and Chimney Swift babies in our chimney. And what I read about Chimney Swift broods is true, they are noisy but we love it!.

Gretchen - Central PA

Gretchen and bluebirders:

Personally I have always considered Chimney Swifts as a "cavity nester."
So, in my opinion, not off topic!

The four letter code for Chimney Swifts: CHSW.
They generally allow only one or two breeding pairs per cavity = chimney.
They congregate sometimes by the hundreds and or thousands in migration in large chimneys.
They winter in the Amazon of Brazil. Awesome critters.

Good birding, Larry H. Joplin (sw) MO.

Our Purple Martins disappeared about one week ago, which is normal for our colony. They fly to Muskogee, Oklahoma to gather in huge flocks for their flight to South America...  Thursday night, we witnessed the most amazing sight!  Roy and I were in the barnyard doctoring an injured horse.   I saw several birds soaring up in the sky and remarked "There's some more Purple Martins flying to Muskogee."  Suddenly, there were DOZENS of Purple Martins flying, clicking and singing in the air over our heads.  Dozens landed on our Purple Martin gourds, where they would chip, chitter, squabble () and just as suddenly fly off in a great swarm.  I was mesmerized...  Then just as suddenly, a great flock of Chimney Swifts with their torpedo shaped bodies flew overhead with their constant "chitter, chitter, chitter."  The Martins and Swifts would occasionally mingle, making a huge cloud of birds.  It was the most amazing thing I've seen this summer! 

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