We were recently looking back at photos from last year at this time and realized it’s baby chimney swift season! We got a call yesterday from another local rehabber about transferring some swifts to us today, but that must’ve jinxed us, since yesterday we received seven chimney swifts within a four hour period!

If your chimney is not capped, there is a chance that swifts will find their way in and make a nest. They can be very loud, but it’s an honor to have this rare species in your protective cavity. Please be aware, it is against the law to remove them or have the chimney capped until they leave. They are federally protected and a very important species.

If you have chimney swifts in your chimney and they have fallen to the bottom, we can give you many tips and tricks on ways to “renest” them back up into the chimney from either inside your home or from your roof.

If you have found a swift, do not give it any food or water – call the Bird Center for further instructions. They require a specific diet and feeding them incorrectly can harm them greatly.

We are still having issues with our answering machine, but please feel free to call us during business hours if you have any questions or concerns about swifts (or any other bird). We answer our phone from 7:30 AM until 8:30 PM: 734.761.9640

They also eat a ton of worms every 15 minutes, so any donation will help us out! We purchase our mealworms from Rainbow Mealworms – if you’d like to purchase a gift certificate for us, click the “Gift Certificates” link at the top of their website, and enter [email protected] as the “Recipient’s Email.” We appreciate your support!

Here is our intern Tera learning how to feed these chatty insectivores: