CHIMNEY CREATURE

Chimney swift 4

* CHIMNEY SWIFT

In September of this year, I will be taking a huge step forward in my life. I will be earning a master's degree in Conservation Biology. This is especially exciting because it is a new field.

But on what subject will I write my thesis?

I am hoping this very blog will help me decide. That is why I am excited to be writing about endangered species. For example, I could easily spend the remainder of my life devoted to preserving this beautiful, mysterious creature, the chimney swift.

What is so facinating about chimney swifts is their now inextricable link to humans. More so than almost any other species, without our help, chimney swifts will almost certainly disappear.

Before the European settlers came to eastern North America, chimney swifts resided inside large, hollow trees and in caves. They are specially adapted to cling to the sides of rough surfaces, and they even build their nests on the side of these kinds of walls.

After the settlers came to North America, the old-growth forests and habitats with available caves were destroyed. Many species perished. Chimney swifts, however, made a brilliant adaptation: they began residing on the inside of people's chimneys. Between the time of the settlers until very recently, traditional chimneys have been the perfect place for these birds to reside.

Recently, however, chimney designs have been altered to the point where chimney swifts can no longer use them as suitable nesting sites. This situation is dire simply because each nesting swift needs its own chimney for nesting; they cannot "share". 

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* Here are some facinating facts on chimney swifts, including important information relating to their survival:

* Chimney swifts are small neotropical migrants most closely related to swallows and hummingbirds. They spend most of the year in eastern North America and winter in the Amazon Basin. Their diet consists of small flying insects, which they catch in mid-air while flying.

* Chimney swifts spend most of their time in flight. They are one of the most aerial birds in the world, roosting only while nesting or at night. They even bathe while in flight, dipping themselves into the water and right back into the air.

* Chimney swifts do not perch like most birds; they cling to vertical surfaces with their long claws; they also build their nests on vertical surfaces. The nest is composed of small twigs and is held together with the swift's saliva.

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* For the first time in history, chimney swift numbers are declining. According to the Driftwood Wildlife Association, it is beleived that several factors are invovled:

* New chimneys made of metal, which are too slippery for swifts. These kinds of chimneys should be capped since the birds will still attempt to nest in these structures.

* Caps on masonry chimneys also preclude the birds from nesting there.

* Wood fires produce a toxic residue called creosote. Not only is this dangerous for birds, it can also cause fires if allowed to build up. This can be remedied by having the chimney cleaned. On this point I am unclear, but I imagine this must be done by a cleaning company who will use non-toxic materials. The best time to clean the chimney is in mid-March when wood fire season ends and just before chimney swifts return from their wintering grounds in the Amazon Basin.

* When the chimney is cleaned, the damper should be inspected. The damper should be kept closed during the nesting season to prevent swifts from entering the house and will prevent the young from falling into the fireplace, where the mother will be unable to care for the young. The damper will also soften loud noises coming from the home.

* If an older home is without an effecive damper, a large piece of foam rubber should be wedged up from the fireplace while the chimney swifts are residing there. 

* So, Voxters, do you have a chimney, and if so, have you ever noticed this phenomenon?