While chimneys may not strike us as a good place for birds, it can be a cozy spot to certain species. Chimneys are spaces that can provide warmth, safety, and refuge. Whether just roosting for the evening or building a nest and raising a family, chimneys can be attractive spaces to utilize. Keep reading to learn more about birds that live in chimneys for at least part of their life.
Birds That Live In Chimneys
A chimney, especially one that isn’t being used, is sometimes used as a home for several species of birds, such as sparrows, grackles, starlings, and pigeons. However, there is one species that almost exclusively lives in chimneys, and that bird is the Chimney Swift.
Chimney Swifts
These members of the swift family are so closely associated with chimney’s, they were named for it! Chimney swifts (Chaetura pelagica) are small birds that have a slender cigar-shaped body and curved wings that are long and narrow. Their round heads sit atop short necks, and their tails are quite short and tapered. While their mouth is rather wide, their beak is so short that it can be hard to see. Both the male and female chimney swift are roughly the same size, and can measure 4 to 6 inches long with a 10 to 12 inch wingspan. Their plumage is a dark, sooty brown.
At one time, chimney swifts would only make their nests in caves and hollow trees. However, their numbers greatly increased once they started to utilize chimneys since these types of structures are more readily available.
Why do chimney swifts like chimneys?
Chimney swifts have very short legs. They are actually incapable of perching like most birds, so you won’t find them sitting on any branches. Their only method of landing is to cling to vertical surfaces with their sharp nails. Rough cave walls or tall, hallowed out trees meet their needs for protection (enclosed space) and vertical clinging surface. But these specific environments can be hard to find. As cities and towns were built up with tall, brick chimneys, these became a perfect, protected home with lots of vertical clinging space.
Other man made structures that chimney swifts will use include air vents, silos, lighthouses, wells, outhouses and cisterns. These aren’t likely to become roosting sites for the birds unless they are abandoned or very infrequently used, since the swifts would be unlikely to settle anywhere with constant disturbance.
Interesting Behavior
The behavior of the chimney swift is a bit different than many other small birds we are used to seeing in our yards. They stay airborne nearly all day long. They eat, drink, and bathe (by skimming along water) while flying! Only during nesting and roosting overnight do they stop and rest.
Nesting
Chimney swifts use small branches, twigs, and other plant-based materials to build their nests. They use their saliva, which will harden and act as a glue-like substance, to bind the materials together. Their glue-like saliva also helps to adhere the nest to the inside of the chimney, which prevents it from failing.
Sometimes the mated pair will be joined by unmated birds that aid in rearing the young. After the young have left the nest, several groups of parents and young birds from the same area will gather together and roost in larger groups.
