Bird
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagicaChimney Swifts are sooty, sickle-winged birds that spend nearly all daylight hours flying after insects. Their rapid wingbeats, stiff shallow glides, and chattering calls often reveal groups circling above a communal roost.
aerial insectivorechimney roostmigrant
—observations
—countries
—peak records
VulnerableConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXVulnerableRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyFlies, beetles, airborne spiders
Predators
- falcons
- owls
- tree-climbing snakes
ThreatsLoss or capping of traditional chimneys, insect declines, pesticides, and severe weather
HabitatsOpen airspace above towns, forests, rivers, and wetlands near suitable vertical roosts
Life spanCommonly several years, with some banded birds recorded beyond fourteen years
Classification
- OrderApodiformes
- FamilyApodidae
- GenusChaetura
- SpeciesChaetura pelagica
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Avoid disturbing occupied chimneys, especially during nesting and migration.
- What to notice
- Confirm a uniformly dark, cigar-shaped body with narrow curved wings and shallow fluttering flight.
- Support conservation
- Never enter, illuminate, smoke, cap, or repair an occupied chimney during the active season.
Responsible observation
- Listen: Dry chattering notes can reveal fast-moving birds overhead.
- Watch: At dusk, observe from a distance as flocks funnel into a roost.
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