Web Analytics Made Easy - Statcounter

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

Chimney Swift

Order: Apodiformes
Family: Apodidae
Genus: Chaetura
Species: pelagica

Gr. a- not, without
Gr. pous genitive
Gr. podos a foot
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. forma form, kind, species
La. chaeta bristle, hair
Gr. oura tail
La. Pelasgi ancient nomadic Tribe

A painting of a flock of chimney swifts flying high with a sky background.

About 5 inches long with a 12 inch wingspan. Narrow tail. Sooty grey-brown upper, paler grayish brown underneath, grayish white on the throat, black wings.

USGS map shows chimney swifts range generally in the eastern half of North America.

Chimney swifts used to inhabit forests, now they nest mostly in cities throughout the Great Plains to Eastern U.S, and southern Canada. They migrate to northern and middle South America.

Flocks of Chimney Swifts swoop gracefully like swallows overhead catching flying insects in evenings or cloudy days all the while emitting high pitched twittering notes.

The Chimney Swift’s ancestors used to nest in forest tree hollows. Now they suspend their unlined basket like nests of twigs glued together with saliva inside little or unused chimneys and many people are having success attracting flocks to Chimney Swift Towers.

They snap thin dry twigs about an inch or two long for their nests from dead branches while in full flight.

Females lay 4 or 5 white eggs which hatch after about three weeks and young fledge in about another four weeks.

Painting of chimney swift clinging to the inside of a brick chimney near its nest.

There are no chimney swift tower designs here. Plenty are on the internet and you could probably come up with your own.

The ideal chimney tower could be a brick and mortar chimney with a solid foundation and access for easy cleaning underneath. 

Wood towers are popular, but they require preservation and maintenance. If you’re up to it, that’s good. Many are.

Large abnormal constructions may violate building codes or make a home properties difficult to sell in a lot of communities.

If you’re settled in for the long term, somewhat isolated and aren’t subject to local building codes, that’s great.

Alternatively, if there are chimney swifts flying overhead, there is a chimney or chimney-like structure somewhere nearby where they nest and birders can likely find it.

Our experience was searching for the nesting site of a large number of chimney swifts feeding every evening in a major city.

Painting of chimney swifts flying over a home with a prominent chimney among trees against an early evening sky and a second inset scene of a swift nest with eggs.

One nesting site turned out to be an older elementary school with a large, very tall chimney that once served an old coal furnace and was no longer used. Just finding and observing can be a lot of fun.

Home          Birds           Birdhouses          Birdhouse Plans        Birdhouse Forum

Order: Apodiformes
Family: Apodidae
Genus: Chaetura
Species: pelagica

Gr. a- not, without
Gr. pous genitive
Gr. podos a foot
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. forma form, kind, species
La. chaeta bristle, hair
Gr. oura tail
La. Pelasgi ancient nomadic Tribe

Painting of chimney swifts foraging high over a city.

About 5 inches long with a 12 inch wingspan. Narrow tail. Sooty grey-brown upper, paler grayish brown underneath, grayish white on the throat, black wings.

USGS map shows chimney swifts range generally in the eastern half of North America.

Chimney swifts used to inhabit forests, now they nest mostly in cities throughout the Great Plains to Eastern U.S, and southern Canada. They migrate to northern and middle South America.

Flocks of Chimney Swifts swoop gracefully like swallows overhead catching flying insects in evenings or cloudy days all the while emitting high pitched twittering notes.

Chimney Swifts’ ancestors used to nest in forest tree hollows. Now they suspend their unlined basket like nests of broken twigs glued together with saliva inside seldom used or unused chimneys and many people are having success attracting flocks to Chimney Swift Towers.

They snap thin dry twigs about an inch or two long for their nests from dead branches while in full flight.

Females lay 4 or 5 white eggs which hatch after about three weeks and young fledge in about another four weeks.

Painting of a chimney swift parent tending to it's nest of eggs attached to bricks and mortar.

There are no chimney swift tower designs here. Plenty are on the internet and you could probably come up with your own.

The ideal chimney tower could be a brick and mortar chimney with a solid foundation and access for easy cleaning underneath.

Wood towers are popular, but they require preservation and maintenance. If you’re up to it, that’s good. Many are.

Large abnormal constructions may violate building codes or make a home properties difficult to sell in a lot of communities.

If you’re settled in for the long term, somewhat isolated and aren’t subject to local building codes, that’s great.

Alternatively, if there are chimney swifts flying overhead, there is a chimney or chimney-like structure somewhere nearby where they nest and birders can likely find it.

Our experience was searching for the nesting site of a large number of chimney swifts feeding every evening in a major city.

Painting of chimney swifts flying at twilight over a farm house in a forest.

One nesting site turned out to be an older elementary school with a large, very tall chimney that once served an old coal furnace and was no longer used. Just finding and observing can be a lot of fun.

Home            Birds             Birdhouses            Birdhouse Plans          Birdhouse Forum

Chimney Swift

Birds  |  Birdhouses  |  Plans  |  Home

Painting of chimney swifts foraging high over a city.

Order: Apodiformes
Family: Apodidae
Genus: Chaetura
Species: pelagica

Gr. a- not, without
Gr. pous genitive
Gr. podos a foot
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. forma form, kind, species
La. chaeta bristle, hair
Gr. oura tail
La. Pelasgi ancient nomadic Tribe

About 5 inches long with a 12 inch wingspan. Narrow tail. Sooty grey-brown upper, paler grayish brown underneath, grayish white on the throat, black wings.

USGS map shows chimney swifts range generally in the eastern half of North America.

Chimney swifts used to inhabit forests, now they nest mostly in cities throughout the Great Plains to Eastern U.S, and southern Canada. They migrate to northern and middle South America.

Painting of chimney swifts flying at twilight over a farm house in a forest.

Flocks of Chimney Swifts swoop gracefully like swallows overhead catching flying insects in evenings or cloudy days all the while emitting high pitched twittering notes.

Chimney Swifts’ ancestors used to nest in forest tree hollows. Now they suspend their unlined basket like nests of broken twigs glued together with saliva inside seldom used or unused chimneys and many people are having success attracting flocks to Chimney Swift Towers.

They snap thin dry twigs about an inch or two long for their nests from dead branches while in full flight.

Females lay 4 or 5 white eggs which hatch after about three weeks and young fledge in about another four weeks.

There are no chimney swift tower designs here. Plenty are on the internet and you could probably come up with your own.

The ideal chimney tower could be a brick and mortar chimney with a solid foundation and access for easy cleaning underneath.

Painting of chimney swifts flying at twilight over a farm house in a forest.

Wood towers are popular, but they require preservation and maintenance. If you’re up to it, that’s good. Many are.

Large abnormal constructions may violate building codes or make a home properties difficult to sell in a lot of communities.

If you’re settled in for the long term, somewhat isolated and aren’t subject to local building codes, that’s great.

Alternatively, if there are chimney swifts flying overhead, there is a chimney or chimney-like structure somewhere nearby where they nest and birders can likely find it.

Our experience was searching for the nesting site of a large number of chimney swifts feeding every evening in a major city.

One nesting site turned out to be an older elementary school with a large, very tall chimney that once served an old coal furnace and was no longer used. Just finding and observing can be a lot of fun.

Birds  |  Birdhouses  |  Plans  |  Forum