Chimney Swifts: The Challenges and Rewards of their Rehabilitation

Mandy Feavel Director of Care Wildlife In Need Center Overview

• Founded in 1994 • Oconomowoc, WI • Admit over 3,200 wild patients each year to our wildlife hospital • Representing 140 different species • , mammals, reptiles & amphibians • No Striped Skunk or White-tailed Deer • 15 educational animal ambassadors • Education depart. gives ~140 programs/year • 5 full time staff, 5 part-time staff • 2-3 seasonal part-time staff • 18 Animal Care and/or Education interns/year • Over 130 animal care volunteers Overview

• Overview of species and natural history • Swifts in rehab • Diet • Hand-rearing swifts • Hatchling/nestling care • Fledgling care • Common injuries, diseases and issues • Adult admissions • Release • Conservation and Education Natural History & Ecology

• Their summer range is in the eastern half of US and southern Canada (where they are considered a threatened species) • Winter in South America • Life expectancy of 4-5 years • Pre-colonial times, swifts nested and roosted in large hollow trees Chimney Behavior • They don’t perch (in traditional sense) • Ten tail spines help support them • Both sexes are identical in appearance • Nicknamed ‘flying cigars’ • Swifts are “aerial insectivores” which means they feed exclusively on the wing • They even bathe in flight

• They do not at night • Other species can/do (European study)* Chimney Swift Habitat

• So much remains unknown about this species • Spend the day in wide- ranging fast flight, above the clouds • Their habitat includes that airspace Chimney Swift Habitat Two types of roosts used by Chimney Swifts:

Nesting Roosts; used during Resting Roosts; used during breeding season migration Photo by: Greg W. Lasley/Vireo Photo on right by: Greg Schechter Nesting

• Both sexes are involved in making the nest • Lays 4-5 eggs (can be up to 7) • Hatch after 18-19 days of incubation • Open their eyes around 15 days • Around 21 days they will venture off the nest to perch alongside it and “practice flap” • Fledge from the chimney around 28-30 days Photo by: Northeastern Chimney Sweeps Chimney Swifts in Rehabilitation

• People may hear a family/nest in Chimney • They won’t be in the chimney long

• Young that fall from nests • Is re-nesting an option?

• We take the opportunity to talk with the “Swift landlords” at admission or follow up • Habitat conservation is important

• Adults that collide with windows Image taken from: Rehab and Conservation of Chimney Swifts - Fourth Edition 2004 Initial Exam

Like any other small avian initial exam; • Palpate for major injuries • Check for damage • Check nails for damage/worn • Patient history • Most likely has been with out food/fluids for an extended time – fluid therapy is essential • Place an individual leg band • Begin feedings Chimney Swifts in Rehabilitation

• Getting them to eat – they will never be able to self-feed in captivity • Feeding responses • May need to force-fed…carefully! Diet Swift Diet Recipe: 60 ml vitamin water 1/16 tsp calcium carbonate vitamin 1/16 tsp soya Musca vitamin 1/16 tsp yeast

- Mix together in a cup and add anywhere from 1/4 - 1/3 cup of appropriate sized mealworms (mini or medium). Add 20-30 waxworms per cup to feed individually. - Use small tip tweezers to prevent injury to or mouth while hand feeding. *Gut-load your mealworms!* Hand-rearing Hatchlings/nestlings

• Housed in incubator • Should be fed every 30 minutes for 12 hours/day • Should be offered as many mealworms as they want at each feeding • Younger than 7 days old – do saliva transfer from other older swifts • Monitor young ones for signs of infection – begin antibiotics if necessary • Use mini-mealworms • Weigh 5x-3x/week Hand-rearing Hatchlings/nestlings- Housing Hand-rearing Hatchlings/nestlings- Housing Hand-rearing Fledglings

• Should be fed every 1 hour for 12 hours/day • This feeding schedule will continue until release. • You MUST track every individual at each feeding • Use medium mealworms • Weigh 2x-1x/week Hand-rearing Fledglings - Housing Hand-rearing Fledglings - Feeding Feeding Time! Feeding Time! Hand-rearing Fledglings – Flight & Landing Practice Hand-rearing Fledglings – Catching Food in Flight

• Fruit fly colony in outdoor enclosure • “Stir up” the fruit to encourage feeding behavior • Try to keep at chimney entry level so swift are excited by insect movement • Change the fruit as needed • We will stay after feeding to watch some practicing • Not enough to be their full diet Adult Admissions

• Be patient • Be gentle with hand feedings • May never be “good” at hand-feeding • Network to see if you can get swifts in rehab together • Depending on injury, may be placed with young swifts Common injuries/diseases/issues

• Fires in chimneys – cause singed feathers or burns, respiratory issues • Punctures by cat attack • Fractured leg or fractured wing • Bacterial infection • Yeast infection of the digestive tract • Inappropriate diet • Euthanasia Decisions • Over-winter swifts? Release Considerations

• Chimney Swifts body and condition • Weather and time of day Ready, Set… Release!

Release and A Swift Night Out! A Swift Night Out

• Swift Night Out is a continent- wide effort to raise awareness about Chimney Swifts and their roosting sites. • Organize one with volunteers or people through your rehab group • People become very interested once they see this spectacle in person!

Photo by: Steve Benoit

Conservation and Education

• Identify and preserve nesting and roosting sites in chimneys or silos • Educate primary stakeholders – homeowners, schools and businesses with masonry chimneys • a Swift Night Out • Plant native plants, don’t use pesticides Questions? Contact Information

Mandy Feavel, Director of Animal Care Wildlife In Need Center - Oconomowoc, WI [email protected] References

• Diehl, Robb “The Airspace as Habitat”. US Geological Survey. Conference presentation 2018. • Kyle, G. and Kyle P. Rehabilitation and conservation of Chimney Swifts. Driftwood Wildlife Association 2004. • The Wildlife In Need Center • The Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group