The Buzz About Chimney Swifts: A Cincinnati Springtime Story (and Why Your Chimney Matters)
Spring in Cincinnati brings a symphony of sights and sounds, but one of the most remarkable aerial displays comes from the industrious chimney swift. These fascinating birds, often mistaken for swallows (though they’re more closely related to hummingbirds), are a vital part of our urban ecosystem, and their presence is a sure sign of warmer days ahead.
Meet the Chimney Swift: Urban Aviators Extraordinaire
Chimney swifts ( Chaetura pelagica) are small, sooty gray birds with slender bodies and long, pointed wings. They’re masters of flight, spending almost their entire lives on the wing, catching insects in mid-air. Their rapid, shallow wingbeats and constant chattering calls create a distinctive soundscape during the spring and summer months.
- Unique Nesting Habits: Unlike most birds that build nests in trees or bushes, chimney swifts have adapted to urban environments by nesting almost exclusively in chimneys. They use their saliva to glue twig nests to the inside walls of chimneys, a behavior that earned them their name.
- Insectivores Extraordinaire: Chimney swifts are voracious insect eaters, consuming vast quantities of mosquitoes, flies, and other flying insects. This makes them incredibly beneficial to our neighborhoods, helping to control pest populations.
- Migration Marvels: These birds are neotropical migrants, spending their winters in the Amazon basin of South America and returning to North America in the spring to breed. Their long-distance journeys are a testament to their incredible endurance.
- Conservation Concerns: Chimney swift populations have declined in recent decades due to habitat loss, primarily the capping of chimneys and the decline of older, unlined chimneys. The replacement of traditional masonry chimneys with metal flues also presents a problem as the swifts cannot adhere their nests to the smooth metal.
Why Your Chimney Matters to Chimney Swifts (and to You!)
If you have an uncapped, masonry chimney, you might be providing a crucial nesting site for these birds. However, it’s essential to ensure your chimney is safe and well-maintained.
- Safety First: A clean and structurally sound chimney is crucial for both the swifts and your home. Creosote buildup and debris can create fire hazards, and damaged chimneys can pose structural risks.
- Swift-Friendly Practices: If you discover chimney swifts nesting in your chimney, it’s best to leave them undisturbed until they have finished raising their young. Avoid cleaning your chimney during the nesting season (typically May to September).
- Professional Chimney Care: Regular chimney inspections and cleanings are essential for maintaining a safe and efficient chimney. This is where a trusted local professional comes in.
Best Cincinnati Chimney: Your Partner in Chimney Swift Conservation and Home Safety
When it comes to chimney care in Cincinnati, you need a reliable and experienced team. Best Cincinnati Chimney understands the importance of maintaining your chimney’s integrity while also respecting the needs of local wildlife, including chimney swifts.
- Expert Inspections and Cleaning: Best Cincinnati Chimney provides thorough inspections to identify any potential hazards and offers professional cleaning services to remove creosote and debris.
- Swift-Aware Services: They are knowledgeable about chimney swift nesting habits and can advise you on how to best manage your chimney during the nesting season.
- Repair and Restoration: If your chimney requires repairs or restoration, Best Cincinnati Chimney can handle the job with expertise and care.
- Customer Satisfaction: They pride themselves on providing excellent customer service and ensuring your chimney is safe and efficient.
By choosing Best Cincinnati Chimney, you’re not only investing in the safety of your home but also contributing to the conservation of these remarkable birds.
Note- Since they are a protected species, we cannot kill or harm Chimney Swifts, but we can time their leaving or put you in contact with a professional animal removal company.
Let’s work together to protect chimney swifts and ensure their continued presence in our Cincinnati skies. If you have an uncapped chimney, consider leaving it open for these beneficial birds. And for all your chimney care needs, trust Best Cincinnati Chimney to keep your home safe and sound.
This spring, take a moment to appreciate the acrobatic displays of chimney swifts and remember the vital role they play in our urban ecosystem. And remember that a well-maintained chimney is a safe chimney, for both your family and the birds that call it home.
Call us at 513-474-1158
- Published in Chimney Cleaning, Chimney Swifts
Chimney Swifts
Best Cincinnati Chimney sees a lot of problems every year but one reoccurring problem is the presence of Chimney Swifts nesting in the chimneys.
Chimney Swifts are brown and gray birds known for their cigar-shaped bodies and wide, flat beaks. While their natural habitat is in trees, the destruction of forests has resulted in them having an affinity for chimneys as they are warm and protected from predators. These birds do not roost like most birds but they like to hang and they build their nests against ledges so a chimney is perfect for them. One definite sign that you have chimney swifts is the cry of their young hatchlings. They let off a high pitched screaming that sounds like a little girl screaming.
Why not just let them be?
Regardless of how much you love birds, you should ask a chimney professional to keep swifts out of your chimney. Besides the irritating sounds that they make, they also pose some dangers. One of the dangers is that of diseases. Due to their tendencies to travel long distances and even across continents they are exposed to many microorganisms that can cause diseases to you and your family.
Another reason why you should keep them out of your chimney is because they put your home at the risk of catching fire. When they construct nests, the nests block the chimney flue thus harmful gasses, and smoke doesn’t escape into the environment. This results to creosote getting deposited on the chimney walls. As you know, the more the creosote deposits, the higher the chances of your chimney catching fire. Also the nests themselves are flammable.
What do we do to get them out?
Many birds, including swifts, are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The act states that it’s a federal offense to remove or damage the swift nests before the hatchlings have left. Once they are there, you have them for a life cycle. The good thing is that the birds have short life cycles where the time from nesting to the time that the hatchlings leave the nest is less than 6 weeks. After the six weeks, you should contact a chimney company to remove the nests and clean the entire chimney. We usually just wait them out and then seal them out.
Keeping them out
Swifts spend their winters in South American then migrate to North America in spring and summer. If you don’t take measures to prevent the birds from getting into your chimney they will come back during summer. One of the ways of ensuring that they don’t find their way into your chimney again installing a chimney cap. All you need to do is hire a chimney masonry repair professional to install it for you. Since the birds are very small, ensure that you hire a professional who will install a unit that the birds can’t fit through. The smaller the mesh around the cap, the better.
In addition to installing chimney caps, you should also inspect the entire chimney and fix any holes that the birds can get through and remove all debris that they brought into the chimney.
Call Best Cincinnati Chimney for a complete cleaning and inspection today at 513-474-1158.