Endangered and Disappearing Birds of Appalachia and the Southeast
Extract
Species Account Twittering high overhead on summer evenings, the distinctively shaped Chimney Swift can be seen over many cities and towns across the Appalachians and the Southeast. With stiff, rapid beats of their thin, curved wings, Chimney Swifts twist and turn at high speeds in their aerial pursuit of airborne insects. Other than when they are roosting at night or nesting, Chimney Swifts are almost perpetually on the wing—more so than just about any other land bird. They can bathe, gather nesting material, eat, drink, and even mate without landing. When they do land, they prefer rough vertical surfaces, where their stiff tails and long, sharp claws help hold them in place.
Shortly after returning to their breeding grounds, Chimney Swifts engage in aerial chases to establish pair-bonds. During these flights, three swifts may chase one another through the air, or two swifts may perform a V-wing display, simultaneously lifting their wings in a V and slowly drifting downward together. Once pairs are established and a nest site is chosen, swifts hover to pluck dead twigs from trees and then carry them to the nest site, where they use their saliva to attach the sticks to the inside of the chimney. Although many unmated swifts may use the same chimney to roost at night for protection from the elements and from predators, only one mated pair nests in each chimney.
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