Brunswick's Swift Roost

Swift Recovery Project

UPDATE May 28, 2010 : 

The replacement chimney at the former Brunswick High School site was completed in April 2010. The new chimney is constructed of concrete block instead of brick and is not quite as high as the old chimney. It is also in a construction site and is not attached to a completed building. We have worked closely with the architect, who is very interested in the project, and all that we know about how swifts move from one chimney to another was used in its planning and construction.

On May 5th 23 swifts entered the new chimney at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School and about 5 minutes later 23 swifts exited the chimney. Since that time up to 50 birds have occasionally circled the chimney and have not entered. but we think that the swifts will, in time, get used to the feel and environs of the new chimney.

To our knowledge the swifts entering the Maine Medical chimney is the biggest show in the state. If you would like to see another, more intimate, view there is a chimney in Lisbon Falls which is about 8 miles up Route 196 from Brunswick. For the past week about 100 birds have been entering the chimney roughly between 8:15 and 8:45 pm. Heading north, go through the light in downtown Lisbon Falls (where 196 crosses Main Street), follow 196 around a bend for about 100 yards, and on the right you will see a parking lot next to a pizza parlor. The chimney is the largest on the buildings on Main Street across the lot.

Once inhabitants of old growth forests, Chimney Swifts are now dependent on the built landscape and are in very sharp decline nationwide.

Merrymeeting Audubon Society

PO Box 544

Bath, ME 04530

2009 Video of the Brunswick Swifts can be found at Swift Video.

For additional information questions or comments, contact Ted Allen at 729-8661 or email merrymeeting@maineaudubon.org.

SWIFT PHOTOS AND PROJECTS

	Chimney Swift in Flight The Chimney Swift is a small bird only 5-6 inches in length with a wing span of 11-12 inches.  They weight about an ounce or slightly less. Wintering in the Amazon Basin of South America, Chimney swifts return to breeding sites in the US and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. For more information about Chimney Swifts, go to All About Birds.
	Migration Roosts Large numbers of swifts roost together in a single large chimney or air shaft during migration and in the non-breeding season. This roost is in the Chaetura Canyon in Texas. The advent of modern chimneys with smooth interiors have reduced the number of available roosting sites.
	Nesting Towers Maine Audubon recently added a Chimney Swift Nesting Tower at Gilsland Farm. Built and donated by Andre Bellucci, the tower was shingled and installed by Maine Audubon staff and volunteers in April. Photo left. Before European colonization, Chimney Swifts likely nested in hollow trees and caves.  With deforestation and settlement, swifts adapted to nesting in brick chimneys. Modern chimney construction results in smooth interiors which are not useable by swifts as nest sites and may have contributed to this species' rapid decline. Projects such as Maine Audubon's seek to restore some of that nesting habitat.

SWIFT NUMBERS

Former Brunswick High School Chimney