Editor’s Note: The pair of chimney swifts is part of the CROW CAW (Case A Week) series, which tells the stories of the patients at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel Island, the dangers they face, and how we can help protect all of our wildlife. Read previous cases here.
Over a month ago, two chimney swift chicks (patients 25-2996 and 2997) fell from their nest in a chimney. The rescuer could not safely return them to their nest and brought them to CROW for examination.
Fortunately, both chicks were unharmed, and the staff is raising them until they’re old enough for release. Their feathers are beginning to fill out, and they are almost ready to move to a spacious outdoor enclosure.
Chimney swifts can be spotted in Florida during the spring and summer months, when they migrate to the state for breeding, nesting, and raising their young. In September, they leave their North American breeding grounds and return to the Amazon basin of South America.
They are swift and agile and can be easily mistaken for bats as they dart back and forth hunting insects. Although swallow-like in silhouette, this species is more closely related to hummingbirds. They spend most of their time in flight and catch their prey on the wing.
Chimney swifts are unable to perch like other birds; they can only climb on vertical surfaces, like tree trunks, cave walls, and chimneys. In fact, they have unique, spiny tail feathers and grappling hook claws that help them cling tight!
Over the past 20 years, the chimney swift population has taken a significant decline. In 2018, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified them as vulnerable. The exact reason for this decline remains unclear, but pesticide use is a possible contributing factor.
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