It’s exciting and aggravating knowing chimney swifts have chosen your chimney as their new nest. Small as they might be and harmless as they may appear, these birds can bring trouble. The main problem comes from the fact they rely on their nesting habits, which cause the nest to fill up with remnants. So, it creates a huge cleaning problem but also draws other unwanted guests into the chimney, making it very attractive to pests.
The Wonders of Chimney Swifts
All winter long, these feathered friends spend their time vacationing in Columbia, Peru, and Venezuela. They then take a long voyage to the U.S. to breed when the weather warms up.
Interestingly enough, the chimney swift doesn’t take off horizontally like other birds. Unique to their species, these birds make a vertical takeoff.
And they spend a great deal of their time in flight, except for when they nest or roost overnight.
The Trouble With Having Chimney Swifts
Chimney swifts, while fascinating in their unique lifestyles and migration habits, can, unfortunately, bring undesirable consequences when they decide to live in your chimney.
Although they might seem like harmless or beneficial creatures from afar, getting to know the challenges they can pose may change your mind. Here are some downsides of harboring these feathered guests in your chimney.
Nuisance
Chimney swifts are a vociferous feathered community distinguished for their ashy-looking coat. Specifically, while chicks learn to fly, they constantly cry until gaining their flight skills.
Difficulties Removing Chimney Swifts
Removing these feathered squatters isn’t as straightforward as you’d hope. Due to their threatened species classification under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), you’re pretty much stuck with them until they decide to move on — unless you have a federal permit that typically is only given under certain circumstances.
If you knowingly harm or disturb their nests, you can find yourself in legal trouble, including heavy fines and penalties.
Chimney Clogging
There’s the real risk of clogging. Imagine planning a cozy night by the fire, only to get a back draft of smoke in your living room. That’s the potential scene if chimney swifts or their nesting materials block airflow.
Diseases
Swifts aren’t just carrying twigs and leaves back to their nests; they could also bring airborne diseases. For instance, histoplasmosis is a serious infection linked to bird droppings. The threat of breathing in something harmful that’s invisible to the eye adds a layer of worry to their presence.
Insects and Pests
Don’t forget the potential for additional unwanted guests. Where birds go, fleas, ticks, and mites may follow. So, hosting chimney swifts might mean unwittingly welcoming these other critters. And nobody wants to deal with an infestation of pests that can hop from your chimney to your living spaces.
Smoke and Fire Hazards
Imagine lighting a cozy fire, only to realize it could threaten the lives of chimney swifts nesting within and put you on the wrong side of the law. Not to mention, swift nests can block the flue, creating a hazard where smoke and gases can’t vent properly. The materials they use for their nests can also be a fire hazard.
Return Visits
Perhaps the most troubling aspect is their homing instinct. Chimney swifts often return to the same spot year after year, in many cases, with a larger flock. This recurring visit exacerbates the problems mentioned but can also be a safety hazard for you and your family by affecting your chimney’s structural integrity and functionality.
So, What Can You Do?
Understanding and coexisting with these protected birds are part of the challenges and joys of sharing our environment with nature. Patience becomes a key virtue, coupled with a proactive approach to chimney maintenance once the swifts have left.
Learn Patience
However, it’s not all doom and gloom when hosting these seasonal visitors. Living with chimney swifts can be hassle-free with some knowledge and the right approach.
The key is patience. Since these birds are protected, you must wait until they leave on their own before cleaning out nests or capping your chimney to prevent further nesting. Luckily, the babies are usually ready to strike out on their own 30 days after they hatch, as noted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
While they’re there, you can close the damper to reduce the chatter from the little ones. And once you close off your chimney to them for next year, consider setting up a chimney swift tower for their new quarters.
Realize You’re Contributing to Wildlife Conservation
You may be awed by their amazing flight tricks or wonder what it would be like to live in their nests. Nevertheless, let’s not forget that their natural habitat is your backyard, and they’re not there just for our amusement.
Chimney swifts are very important small pollinators and ecosystem inhabitants because of their effect on insect community balance. In fact, a pair of nesting swifts consume 12,000 insects in one day alone.
So, when unexpected tenants, in the form of swifts, come knocking at your door, remember to treat it as a privilege to join the efforts of environmental conservation.
It’s a delicate matter of being responsible and not disturbing the environment. It teaches us how to maintain friendly relationships with each other, shows us the beauty of diversity, and gives us a sense of unity with them. Plunge in this learning journey and be part of a positive long-term relationship between humans and our natural environment.
Humane and Safe Removal Options
A chimney swift is a bird crucial to ecosystems. It might be fun listening to them, but you’d probably rather hear them in the wild and not inside your chimney.
Therefore, if you have unwanted swifts in your chimney, consult us to learn how to contend with them or fix your chimney so they won’t return.
Contact us today at 757-596-2298.