Comments on: Chimney Swift Babies Join the Flock

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:42:11 +0000

Cold, early winter coming. My kitchen chimney (old style cooking fireplace with large stone chimney) is a staging site for the migration. Last week had 500 -600 birds roosting every night. They left yesterday.

Normal departure date is 3rd week of September. Last time they left this early was before the winter of 76/77.

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:49:59 +0000

Take it immediately to a rehabber near you! It needs to eat frequently!
If you live in the Pittsburgh area, take it to the ARL Verona Wildlife Center, 6000 Verona Rd, 412-793-6900. If not in Pittsburgh, find a rehabber in your area. Good luck!

By: Amy Steeples

Amy Steeples — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:01:25 +0000

We rescued a pre-fledging chimney swift that had fallen out of the nest to the bottom of the chimney (no longer in use) of our furnace. Now what?

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:39:03 +0000

You’re righ that the huge flocks happen during migration – which will start in just 3-4 weeks. Something to look forward to!

By: Mary Ann Pike

Mary Ann Pike — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:14:19 +0000

There is a school on Rt 50 in Carnegie where my daughter’s high school football team used to play (I think it was Carnegie’s high school before they merged the school districts, and it is still the district’s high school field). Several times over the years we saw huge flocks (I mean hundreds of birds) dive into a chimney in the school building at dusk, as we were watching the football game. It was an amazing site. I always assumed that they were migrating flocks…you wouldn’t see such a large group otherwise, I wouldn’t think.

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:27:07 +0000

Try the South Side too – though I can’t tell you an exact chimney. Lots of chimney swifts there – and lots of chimneys.

By: John English

John English — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:15:36 +0000

Lol Anne. There’s a brass foundry on Ardmore Blvd. at Braddock Rd. Next to Forest Hills Presbyterian Church. Park in the church lot and look for the chimney on the foundry.

By: Anne Curtis

Anne Curtis — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:19:07 +0000

Can John English tell us where this “local business” is? I’d go there swiftly (pun intended) to watch! And I’m not even a kid! Anne

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:33:41 +0000

Yes, they really do nest in chimneys. When the owner of the chimney decides to fire it up, the birds die. If the owner decides to clean the chimney or, in the case of an abandoned building, tear it down the babies are lucky if they get rescued. The chimney swift pictured here was one of those who had to be rescued. I hear from Chuck Tague that this swift was taken to ARL’s Verona Wildlife Center where it was fed, nursed and released. Chuck was involved with this release a few years ago.

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:12:37 +0000

Do they really nest in chimneys? What happens when the owner of the house decides to use the chimney… odd as that may be in the middle of summer?