Chaetura pelagica
chimney swift

Chimney swifts are found from central Alberta to Newfoundland, and south to Florida, the Gulf states, and eastern Texas. They are migratory, wintering at the headwaters of the Amazon in western Brazil and eastern Peru. Chimney swifts are considered accidental species in Greenland and Bermuda. (Palmer and Fowler, 1975)

In temperate zones, chimney swifts are found most often in areas settled by humans. In the tropics, they are also found near irrigated agricultural lands and areas inhabited by humans. In natural tropical settings, chimney swifts are found at the edge of rivers bordered by forest or the edge of lowland evergreen forests and secondary growth scrub, and even over the Andean valleys in Peru and Ecuador. They can be found at elevations of 2500 m. (Chantler and Driessens, 2000)

In general, chimney swifts are a dark grayish to brownish-gray, sooty color. Males and females look alike. The tail has stiff bristle-like or spiny feather tips (Palmer and Fowler, 1975; Whittemore, 1981). There may be as many as seven tail spines (Chantler and Driessens, 2000). They have been described as resembling a "flying cigar" (Palmer and Fowler, 1975). Chimney swifts have large eyes. They weigh 21.33 g on average. Wing length averages 130.4 mm and tail length averages 39.1 mm (Chantler and Driessens, 2000). (Chantler and Driessens, 2000; Palmer and Fowler, 1975; Whittemore, 1981)

A female chimney swift was recorded to have lived ten years (Dexter, 1956). (Dexter, 1956)

Chimney swifts use both their feet and tail to cling to vertical surfaces (Whittemore, 1981). These birds are highly gregarious, and several thousand may be found roosting in large industrial chimneys (Chantler and Driessens, 2000).

Migration begins in August and continues into early October. No chimney swifts have been recorded in the northern part of their range after October. They return in early spring, usually in April (Dexter, 1969; Chantler and Driessens, 2000). (Chantler and Driessens, 2000; Dexter, 1969; Whittemore, 1981)

Home Range

We do not have information on the home range for chimney swifts at this time.

Chimney swift calls are described as a twitter (Palmer and Fowler, 1975). The most common twitterings are accelerating and decelerating chipping (Chantler and Driessens, 2000).

Chimney swifts also are likely to use touch and vision in communication. They perceive their environment through vision, hearing, touch, and a weakly developed sense of smell. (Chantler and Driessens, 2000; Palmer and Fowler, 1975)

Chimney swifts feed exclusively while in flight. They are primarily insectivores (Palmer and Fowler, 1975). They forage by hovering over tree branches and catching insects in flight; they take a variety of insect and spider prey. Forty to fifty chimney swifts were recorded hovering at the outer branches or diving through the top branches of a sweetgum tree in pursuit of a particular species of weevil (Chantler and Driessen, 2000). (Chantler and Driessens, 2000; Palmer and Fowler, 1975)

Chimney swifts are occasionally eaten by hawks and falcons.

As insectivores chimney swifts affect insect populations throughout their range.

There are no known adverse affects of chimney swifts on humans.

Chimney swifts are valuable as erradicators of insect pests. (Palmer and Fowler, 1975)

Chimney swifts have been described as being as peaceful as doves and always worthy of protection (Whittemore, 1981). They are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but are not listed by CITES, US ESA or the IUCN. (Whittemore, 1981)

Bird's nest soup is made from the nest of an Asiatic swift, a close relative of the chimney swift. The soup is based on the dried saliva that holds the nest together (Palmer and Fowler, 1975). Another close relative of chimney swifts are Vaux's swifts, Chaetura vauxi, which occur in the western United States (Palmer and Fowler, 1975; Whittemore, 1981).

From 1918 to 1932, over 1,600 people visited National, Iowa to study the nesting habits of chimney swifts in a tower designed by Althea Sherman and built in 1915 by local carpenters. The bird tower was approximately 8.5 meters high and 0.3 meters square. An artificial chimney, running down the center of the tower, measured approximately half the tower's height. A door and two glass windows allowed people to enter and observe the chimney swifts. After Althea Sherman's death, the tower was moved to the Andy Mountain Camp Ground, Harper's Ferry, Iowa. In the early 1980's, the tower was still standing and was being used for chimney swift studies (Whittemore, 1981). (Palmer and Fowler, 1975; Whittemore, 1981)