Tracking the Chimney Swift
The chimney swift is among the most gregarious of birds.
Groups of chimney swifts love spending their time together in large groups, whether on the ground or in the air.
These birds are small birds, just short of a half foot long.
And they love to spend lots of time in flight.
In fact much of their feeding is done in the air as they snatch insects in mid flight.
Their common name, chimney swift, has become attached to them because they have adapted so well to man's presence and to the structures that they live in.
It is not uncommon to see them setting up roosting nests on the inside of chimneys.
For the most part, chimney swifts stay with one partner their entire lives.
They are migratory birds who seek the warmth of tropical locations as leave colder areas for the winter.
In the spring however, they are like homing pigeons and will usually return to the same areas year after year.
As far as raising young, it is very much like a communal affair.
A male and female will often be joined by one or more additional chimney swifts in the caring of their children.
They give most of their assistance in helping to bring food back to the nest.
But they can also share in the incubation activities as the couple and their surrogates take turns sitting on the eggs before they hatch.
This species does most of its feeding above lakes and ponds where it will usually find lots of flying insects - the primary part of its diet.
These birds love flies, leafhoppers, mayflies, and the like.
Being a communal species, they usually feed in groups.
So, it is not uncommon to see a flock of chimney swifts flying in close formation to each other as they start their feeding runs.
In addition to man made structures, such as chimneys, these birds also often love to find and build their nests in hollowed out locations in trees left behind by woodpeckers.
Even though chimney swifts love to take up residence in our chimneys, this is actually one of the more dangerous places for them to be.
Many times the heat or deadly gases from an active chimney will kill the birds that live in these enclosures.
In fact, unfortunately, homeowners inadvertently kill thousands of these creatures over the course of a year.
In the wild, even though they are smaller birds, chimney swifts have little to fear from predators, mainly because of the speed at which they can turn on a dime in midair and escape their pursuers.
Groups of chimney swifts love spending their time together in large groups, whether on the ground or in the air.
These birds are small birds, just short of a half foot long.
And they love to spend lots of time in flight.
In fact much of their feeding is done in the air as they snatch insects in mid flight.
Their common name, chimney swift, has become attached to them because they have adapted so well to man's presence and to the structures that they live in.
It is not uncommon to see them setting up roosting nests on the inside of chimneys.
For the most part, chimney swifts stay with one partner their entire lives.
They are migratory birds who seek the warmth of tropical locations as leave colder areas for the winter.
In the spring however, they are like homing pigeons and will usually return to the same areas year after year.
As far as raising young, it is very much like a communal affair.
A male and female will often be joined by one or more additional chimney swifts in the caring of their children.
They give most of their assistance in helping to bring food back to the nest.
But they can also share in the incubation activities as the couple and their surrogates take turns sitting on the eggs before they hatch.
This species does most of its feeding above lakes and ponds where it will usually find lots of flying insects - the primary part of its diet.
These birds love flies, leafhoppers, mayflies, and the like.
Being a communal species, they usually feed in groups.
So, it is not uncommon to see a flock of chimney swifts flying in close formation to each other as they start their feeding runs.
In addition to man made structures, such as chimneys, these birds also often love to find and build their nests in hollowed out locations in trees left behind by woodpeckers.
Even though chimney swifts love to take up residence in our chimneys, this is actually one of the more dangerous places for them to be.
Many times the heat or deadly gases from an active chimney will kill the birds that live in these enclosures.
In fact, unfortunately, homeowners inadvertently kill thousands of these creatures over the course of a year.
In the wild, even though they are smaller birds, chimney swifts have little to fear from predators, mainly because of the speed at which they can turn on a dime in midair and escape their pursuers.
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