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Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
At-a-Glance
• Mating: Monogamous; birds form a pair and work together to rear the young.
• Peak Breeding Activity: May-July
• Incubation: 19-21 days
• Clutch Size: 4-7 eggs
• Young Fledge: 14-19 days after hatching
• Typical Foods: insects
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Description
Many describe the chimney swift as looking like "a cigar with wings." It is a blackish swallow-like bird with long, slightly curved wings and a stubby tail. They fly very rapidly with their wings stiffly bowed.
Habitat and Habits
The chimney swift is most often found in areas dominated by humans. This extraordinary aerialist does not sing and has a limited repetoire. Rather, they give a fairly steady stream of rapid, staccato chips while in flight - chitter-chitter-chitter - occasionally interspersed with quick series of chip notes.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
A basket-like, half-cup nest is built out of sticks and is secured to the wall of a chimney or the inside of a hollow tree by secreted mucilage (saliva). Swifts form nesting colonies in which birds other than the breeding pair will help feed and care for young, a behavior called cooperative breeding. |
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