By Kayla Pringle
If you’ve ever looked up on a summer evening and noticed a flurry of tiny, boomerang-shaped birds swirling high in the sky, chances are you’ve spotted chimney swifts. These aerial acrobats are nature’s little daredevils, spending almost their entire lives in flight—eating, drinking, and even bathing on the wing. With their chattering calls and dazzling swoops, they turn the twilight sky into a living performance. But behind the show lies a surprising truth: many chimney swifts depend on humans to survive.
Chimney Swift Tower
Chimney swifts are built for nonstop motion. Their long, curved wings slice through the air as they scoop up mosquitoes, flies, and other insects by the thousands. A single swift can eat hundreds of bugs in a day, making them both entertainers and pest control specialists. But when it comes time to rest and raise their young, they need somewhere special to cling—and that’s where we come in.
Long ago, swifts nested in hollow trees, attaching their tiny stick nests with their own glue-like saliva. But as forests were cleared, their options dwindled. Luckily, humans had unintentionally provided the perfect replacement: chimneys. Tall, dark, and narrow, these man-made structures became swift skyscrapers. Today, many populations rely almost entirely on chimneys, barns, silos, and other human-built towers for roosting and nesting. Without us, their numbers would plummet.
Unfortunately, modern architecture is leaving swifts in the lurch. Many chimneys are now capped, screened, or removed altogether, and sleek new buildings don’t have the rough, vertical surfaces swifts need to cling to. Across North America, chimney swift populations have declined dramatically—dropping by more than 50% in just a few decades.
The good news is that there are viable solutions to help them. Conservationists and bird lovers have begun building “swift towers”- special tall structures designed just for chimney swifts. Communities are rallying around these projects, often placing towers near schools, parks, or nature centers where people can gather to enjoy the evening spectacle of swifts swirling into their roosts like smoke being pulled back into a chimney.
Helping chimney swifts isn’t just about saving a single species. It’s about protecting the unique relationship between people and wildlife. These birds remind us that sometimes, nature can adapt to our presence in surprising ways—and that we have a responsibility to adapt in return. Plus, who wouldn’t want to keep a few thousand mosquito-eating acrobats around?
So next time you see chimney swifts spiraling overhead, take a moment to marvel at the partnership we share. By leaving our chimneys open, supporting swift tower projects, or simply spreading the word, we can ensure these feathered flyers continue their evening dance for generations to come.
Swifts in Residential Chimney
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