August/September 2016

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Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica

The smudge-gray Chimney Swift nimbly flies over rooftops, fields, and rivers to catch insects. This little bird spends almost its entire life in the air. When it lands, it cannot perch like most other birds so it clings to vertical walls inside chimneys or in hollow trees or caves. We don’t have a lot of chimneys in use any more so this little bird is not as common as it used to be in the United States.

Fun Facts*

• Chimney Swifts fly through the air almost constantly except when they roost overnight or nest. When they do rest, they never sit on perches like most birds. They have long claws that help them cling to walls of chimneys and other vertical surfaces.
• Swifts even bathe in flight; they glide down to water and smack the surface with their bodies, and then bounce up and shake the water from their feathers as they fly away.
• They often roost together in a single chimney during the nonbreeding season and it helps to keep them warm during cold nights.
• The Chimney Swift has a gland under its tongue that has glue-like saliva to help it cement its nest to a wall or rock face.
• In rural areas around farms, they might nest in trees or caves.
• They feed while flying and capture flies, bugs, bees, wasps, ants, mayflies, beetles, fleas, and other insects. Some people have seen them taking berries from elderberry bushes.
• Chimney Swifts migrate to South America each winter flying across the Gulf of Mexico or along the coast of Texas.
• Because of its shape, the Chimney Swift is often called a ‘flying cigar!’

* Information taken from Cornell Lab of Ornithology site All About Birds.

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