Fifty Birds of Town and City
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
It's hard to figure out how the Chimney Swift birds ever existed without urban areas, since
they literally earn their first name by nesting and roosting in chimneys, propping
themselves against the inside surface with short, spiny tails.
The chimney swift is normally found only east of the great plains. Small birds at
about 5 inches long, they are aloft all day long, and almost always in groups. They
migrate in large flocks and nest from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Watching a flock
of swifts flow funnel-like into a chimney is a startling evening experience. The
birds express themselves with a chatter of chipping cries, one of the easiest
identifications of the species. The Chimney Swifts only food is insects, and they are highly
beneficial.
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