Chimney Swifts? Relax!

Chimney Swifts? Relax!

Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina WRNC Sharing information and knowledge for the benefit of native wildlife. A Quarterly Newsletter" Issue 33 September 2008 Detective work What to say about snakes WRNC student WRNC Board President Elizabeth liaison Jenessa Hanrahan has created a brochure for Gjeltema strapped on the snake chaps her local SPCA and spent the to educate the summer tracking public about birds for the state snakes. Page 27 Wildlife Resources Commission. Page 9 A cruel world When do injuries to wildlife constitute Photo by Jeff Lewis cruelty? Page 11 Chimney Swifts? Relax! By Shirley Needham These tiny blackish-gray birds average a weight of Help! I have a rattlesnake in my fireplace! only 22-24 grams (less than 1 oz). They have a wing That’s the call that comes in late June or early July . span of about 12 to 12.5 inches and yet fly all the way to and you know you’re going to be receiving Chimney the upper Amazon River Basin in South America to Swifts. The very first preparation long before that initial spend the winter, and then make the long trip back to call is to study the natural history of the species. the same area, sometimes to the very same chimney, the The Chimney Swift (Chaetura Pelagica) is found following spring. They arrive in the Carolinas generally primarily in the eastern half of the United States and around the first week of April, begin mating and Canada. Before North America was settled, they lived in nesting in May and will begin hatching by the end of large hollow trees but as lands were cleared, June or the first week in July. Babies stay in the chimney competition for the remaining trees became intense, and about 30 days. They will start gathering in large flocks as the smallest of tree users, swifts adapted to chimneys and begin migrating in late August. They are generally and developed a relationship with humans that all gone by late October, depending on the weather. continues today. When they leave the chimney each morning, they spend Part of the fun of rehabbing swifts is knowing you’re the entire day on the wing collecting thousands of those not going to be able to imprint or tame. They are, by pesky mosquitoes, flies, gnats and flying termites. If their very living arrangements, already habituated to people are lucky, they can see them re-enter the humans. chimney each evening at dusk to settle in for the night. WRNC! 1 WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS OF NORTH CAROLINA Responding to the call Rehabbers often get a call when babies and nests fall into a fireplace. If the babies do not yet have their eyes open, or the homeowners know for sure the birds have been down for a time, I take the birds in and check them. Because of the time of the year, assume dehydration. If the eyes are still closed, keep for rehabilitation. If the eyes are open, and it’s a case of hunger and dehydration, treat for both, then try to talk the homeowners into letting you put the swifts back up the chimney as soon as possible. Photo by Dan Kaiser Most of the time I am successful with A Chimney Swift descends while carrying food. that. However, if the birds come down a second time, I take them into damper level. Most of the noise starts to fall during damp and humid rehab. Occasionally the parent swifts about 14 days after hatching, and they weather . in other words in the will come down into the fireplace and leave the chimney at 30 days. Most Carolinas, most of the time! feed the babies. This should be homeowners, once they hear your The tiny altricial hatchlings arrive encouraged as long as there is a safe explanation, will let the birds totally naked but already have the screen between the swifts and the continue to live in the chimney. If beginning of those pointed pins on living area of the house. It also they really don’t want birds in their emerging tail feathers and have very depends on the type of damper on the chimney, suggest capping, but only sharp claws that allow them to cling chimney and whether the young will after migration is complete. There is to most textured surfaces as if they be able to attach to the chimney wall only one situation where I possess prehistoric Velcro. At no point and climb or fly back up. automatically take swifts into rehab, in their life can swifts perch, stand or If the caller complains about the and that’s from the home of some walk, so they must have access to a noise or!doesn't like!having birds Caribbean Islanders who believe nesting or roosting site where they living that close, explain they are a having a bird inside a dwelling is a can "hang out." There is only one protected species and will be there for sign of impending death. Their fear is close avian relative to the swift family only a very short time. You might also so real and so great that trying to and that is the hummingbird . mention what wonderful little bug overcome it is a waste of time and a admit it, you thought it was going to catchers they are. Tell them the probable death warrant for the birds. be the swallow, didn’t you? fascinating natural history of the bird, At just a few days old, swifts begin and, no, they don’t carry diseases Birds raising birds to get a grayish tone to their skin as and . well, just keep talking fast. Both parents build the nest, incubate the pinfeathers appear, giving them a This is your big chance to fulfill the and feed the nestlings. They usually bizarre, porcupine look. From about single most important function of only have one brood, with an average 10 days on, the feather coating or wildlife rehabilitation. Educate, of 4-5 eggs, but will sometimes try sheath!begins to drop off, and the educate, educate. Sometimes you can again if the first nest fails. The flimsy, black feathers will be present. At get them so interested in the outcome stick nest is glued to the inside of the about 14-16 days, the eyes will open, for these marvelous little creatures, chimney using the parents’ saliva. If, although birds that have been under they will become rehabilitation by this time, you have convinced the extreme stress, hunger or dehydration supporters. I’ve had people call me homeowners they WANT to have will sometimes open their eyes year after year and proudly report on swifts in their chimney, suggest they earlier. By about 21 days, their the activities of "their" Chimney have their fireplace cleaned annually feathers are out of the sheath (other Swifts. If the noise is an issue, suggest to remove the soot. If there is a large than around the face), and they will a baffle (insulation or foam) at the soot buildup, the nest is more likely begin practice flapping, sometimes 2! WRNC WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS OF NORTH CAROLINA jumping straight backward before realizing they’re not holding on to anything. Then with a totally panicked look on their face, they will 1 re-grasp the nearest surface. They have such wonderful expressive faces, and you can just see the "what the #%^& just happened there?" look. By Day 30, they literally, and figuratively, take the leap of faith from the top of the chimney and into the wild blue yonder. The only time Chimney Swifts become territorial is during nesting season. Each chimney only has one nest. After nesting season, they become communal again and start gathering in large flocks before fall migration. One of the most satisfying activities connected to swifts is helping with the fall migration roost count. There are sites in the Winston- season. The area under the nail is a ones and then place a piece of paper Salem area, for example where perfect petri dish for breeding towel or tissue in the bottom for thousands of swifts gather nightly in bacteria and sooner or later you will frequent, easy cleanup. Consider one smokestack. Watching them swirl have a Chimney Swift try to swallow using duplicates of all housing so and drop into the chimney is an your finger. If you smoke . O.K., nestlings can be fed and transferred amazing sight, and I encourage O.K., I won’t nag about that, but from one to the other to avoid everyone to get involved in counting please wash your hands extra frequent handling. The quality of the and protecting these sites. For more thoroughly. feathers is very critical for swifts, so I information go to www. Make sure your size-appropriate try not to handle them more than ChimneySwifts.org. This is the home housing is ready. If the babies are not necessary. As they grow and become organization for Paul and Georgean completely feathered, use heating more active, I switch them to larger Kyle, Chimney Swift rehabilitators pads set on low with a source of containers (Photo 2). To safely detach and researchers extraordinaire. humidity in the container. If the a swift from its bedding, keep in Getting started babies are younger than 7-10 days mind all 4 toes point forward most of O.K., you’ve tried all the above, old, use the smallest of the plastic the time, so if you bring your fingers nothing worked, and you still are reptile containers (Photo 1). Wrap a up from behind and keep nudging going to be presented with a box of piece of cardboard or rigid plastic them, they’ll end up in your hand.

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