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Help identify swift roosts!

August 8, 2008
Help identify swift roosts!

Chimney Swifts entering a roost site. Photo courtesy of Georgean and Paul Kyle, Copyright by Driftwood Wildlife Association

With the recent listing of Chimney Swift as an Endangered Species in certain Canadian Provinces, and concerns about declining populations within the core breeding range in the United States, it is becoming more important to fully understand the requirements of this species and using eBird can help understand changes in its range and abundance. By collecting count information, arrival and departure dates, and other data on swifts and other species, eBird provides a comprehensive summary of millions of observations of birds within the Western Hemisphere. These sightings are shared with the Avian Knowledge Network where they can used by scientists. Please enter your Chimney Swift sightings in eBird, especially first arrivals and high counts. And please consider participating in A Swift Night Out, which calls upon observers throughout the ranges of Chimney and Vaux’s Swift to find roost sites and conduct careful counts of the swifts entering the roost.

Since 1997, Paul and Georgean Kyle of the Driftwood Wildlife Association have summarized issues relating to Chimney Swifts on their website www.chimneyswifts.org. They also have coordinated annual roost counts, A Swift Night Out, to try to identify and raise awareness about important roost sites for Chimney Swifts. On the weekends of 8-10 August (Friday to Sunday) and/or 12-14 September (Friday to Sunday) consider trying to find a swift roost in your neighborhood and conducting observations. Please note also, that for westerners, counts of Vaux's Swifts are welcome too!

 

A Swift Night Out and eBird

Although A Swift Night Out and eBird are not fully integrated, you can easily use eBird to record your observations. Follow these instructions to submit your swift count to both eBird and A Swift Night Out.

Log-on, plot your location, and enter your effort information as you typically would; report all species (not just swifts) if possible. You will probably be conducting a "Stationary Count", but could do "Traveling Count" or "Area Search". (As always, it is most valuable if you do not conduct "Casual Observations.")

Select "yes" to the question at the top asking "Do you want to report age/sex or add species comments?" After entering your species counts, the next screen will allow you to enter species comments. Use the species comments field to report details of your observations of Chimney Swifts. When did they begin to stage? When did the last bird enter? Was courtship observed? Enter any other observations about the swifts here.

Finally, the last step will allow you to enter checklist comments. Enter "ASNO:" as the first characters on the first line here, to indicate you participated in A Swift Night Out and to make it easy to retrieve those data. Use this field to also record characteristics of the site, such as what kind of chimney or other structure the swifts were using, as well as weather conditions.

To easily report your count to A Swift Night Out, simply check the box at the bottom to email it to yourself. Then forward your eBird list to Paul and Georgean Kyle at DWA@austin.rr.com. 

First and last sightings through eBird

For Chimney Swifts, and for all species, we encourage observers to report their personal arrival dates through eBird. In most areas Chimney Swifts arrive in March or April and depart in September or October. We would also encourage observers to report all their Chimney Swift sightings in the fall. This would provide us valuable information on their departure dates and may also help to identify important staging areas.   

First and last sightings in eBird can easily be explored here: http://ebird.org/ebird/sightings?locInfo.regionType=subnational1&listType=first&continuous=false&locInfo.regionCode=US-TX 

Try to get a new local record arrival date or departure date for your area!

How you can help with swift conservation

  • If you have a masonry or clay flue-tile chimney, keep the top open and the damper closed during the entire time Chimney Swifts reside in your area to provide a nest site for these insect-eaters.
  • Have your chimney cleaned before the Chimney Swifts return from their winter home in South America.
  • Work with local conservation groups to construct Chimney Swift Towers and educate your friends and neighbors about Chimney Swifts.
  • Visit www.ChimneySwifts.org for more information about Chimney Swifts and conservation efforts on their behalf.