Chimney swift

Chimney swifts cannot perch like other birds. Their feet are made for clinging to vertical surfaces, and they roost and nest inside chimneys, hollow trees and air shafts. They eat, drink and bathe in flight.

In autumn, hundreds or thousands gather at dusk and swirl down into a single large chimney to roost.

A single chimney swift eats thousands of flying insects a day. Swifts moved from hollow trees into chimneys as forests were cleared, and now their numbers are falling as old chimneys are capped or torn down. An open chimney can house a nesting pair all summer.

Nest — A small bracket of twigs glued with saliva to the inside of a chimney
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 19 to 21 days
Nestlings — Climb out of the nest to cling to the chimney wall at about two weeks
Flight — At about four weeks
Lifespan — Several years; wild birds over fourteen are recorded

• A chimney left uncapped from spring to autumn can house a nesting pair; the chimney can be cleaned in late autumn after they leave.
• Chattering in the chimney in summer is nestlings being fed; it stops in a few weeks.
• A swift on the ground cannot take off from flat ground; it needs help from a rehabilitator.

• Swifts are swallows. They are not closely related; swifts are closer to hummingbirds.
• A swift on the ground can be thrown into the air. Throwing a grounded swift is dangerous; it usually needs a rehabilitator's care.

• Common nighthawk
• Ruby-throated hummingbird