See the map at the bottom for currently known Chimney Swift towers.
Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) are one 26 species of aerial insectivores in North America. As a group, aerial insectivores—birds that eat flying insects—are declining rapidly. Aerial insectivores include swifts, nightjars, and swallows. As the graphic at right shows, the number of breeding adult aerial insectivores has declined 32% since 1970, a loss of 160 million birds. Barn Swallows have declined 40%, but more significantly, swifts have lost more than 19 million birds, a staggering 65% decline since 1970!
Aerial insectivores are extremely sensitive to environmental change. The increased effectiveness and use of agricultural insecticides such as synthetic neonicotinoids have greatly reduced their prey base of flying insects. Neonicotinoids are also suspected in declines of native pollinators. Decreasing pesticide use, in agriculture and around the home, will benefit bees and butterflies as well as aerial insectivores.
The Chimney Swift Conservation Program reviews population trends and current status for swifts nationally and in Maryland, information on swift nests, and national and regional Chimney Swift conservation programs.
“Having the Chimney Swifts come to nest in our chimney every year has been such an awesome and fascinating experience. I have learned so much about them that I never knew since moving into this home and finding out we had them.” - E.W., Frederick MD
The Chimney Swift Recovery Goal sets the strategic direction to arrest or reverse the decline of swifts in Maryland, with the following objectives:
Assess the population – distribution, abundance, trends, and threats
Identify, protect, and restore nesting and roosting habitats
Increase the availability of nest sites
Public awareness
download the Chimney Swift Conservation Program document
“Nesting habitat” for swifts is primarily chimneys, and occasionally tree cavities. Increasing availability of nest sites includes educating home and business owners about the need for uncapped chimneys for swifts, as well as constructing Chimney Swift towers. Swift towers provide a wonderful opportunity for nest cams, which can provide a rare glimpse into the normally unseen nesting behavior of these charasmatic “flying cigars.”
Watch a video of an estimated 1200 swifts entering a roost chimney at St. Michael’s church in the Overlea area of Baltimore filmed by the Natural History Society of Maryland on September 26, 2021.
From the curious sounds of baby swifts chattering in the chimney to the awe-inspiring sight of birds entering their roost at dusk, like smoke swirling back into the flue, Chimney Swifts have captured the imagination of many generations of North Americans.
These sleek birds with crescent-shaped wings and acrobatic flight patterns migrate to North America from the Amazon River Basin each spring to breed and raise their young. But by the late 1980s, changes in chimney construction and homeowner attitudes had contributed to a major decline in the numbers of Chimney Swifts. Authors Paul and Georgean Kyle have worked ceaselessly in an attempt to alter that trend.
In Chimney Swifts, the Kyles share the knowledge they have gained, providing readers with an unprecedented peek into the secret life of these beneficial, insect-eating birds. With a non-technical narrative, numerous photos, and original drawings, they explore Chimney Swift natural history and provide practical guidelines for homeowners to coexist peacefully with these remarkable spring and summer guests.
Paul and Georgean Kyle started the Chimney Swift Conservation Association and published two excellent books. Click here to read more about each book.
MBCP has copies of each book for a donation of $15 each. Visit our Chimney Swift campaign page or contact MBCP if you want one or both books.
OTHER Resources
All About Birds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chimney_Swift/id
eBird species information: https://ebird.org/species/chiswi
Chimney Swift Conservation Association: chimneyswifts.org
Chimney Swift Information Handout (PDF)
“Chimney Swifts and Their Relatives” by Margaret Whittemore (1981)