Chimney Swifts

Chimney Swifts. .

Native to Eastern North America , Migrate to Caribbean, South and Central America

, Building nests , Chimney Swifts attach their nests to the inside of chimneys using a gluey-saliva which allows the nest to attach directly to the vertical wall. A new nest is built every spring after returning to the north from their overwintering grounds., Night flyers , Chimney swifts fly particularly at night and dusk when their insect prey are abundant. Due to their size, shape and flight pattern, these birds are often misidentified as bats., Finding a home , Prior to European settlement, Chimney Swifts inhabited hollow trees of old-growth forests. After wide-spread clearing of land for homes and farms, Swifts adapted to creating their homes in the chimneys of buildings., Chimney habitats , Chimney swifts have been recorded on grounds in the historic WPA buildings. In order to provide the ideal home for Swifts, conservation biologists built two artificial chimneys which provide sample habitat for the birds with no risk of intrusion by unwanted visitors.