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A Swift’s Secrets Revealed: What You Need to Know about Chimney Swifts

 

September 24, 2024 by BlackGoose

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. 

Category iconChimney Safety

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4.3
Based on 121 reviews
Black Goose Chimney
Black Goose Chimney
4.3
James Slack
Judy Turman
Very good service. Very knowledgable. Will use again if there is a need.
Louis Lee
Very courteous and knowledgeable.
Alisha Horton
Sergey and his partner were fast, efficient, and professional.
Holly Griffin
Mike and his associate were great!
Michael Murphy
I would highly recommend Black goose chimney I bought an old home that has two fireplaces black goose was recommended to me from my builder and they did not disappoint. They gave me a fair price did not try to oversell me was very competent. Bobby was fantastic.
Donna Fish
Black Goose Chimney Sweep, under the leadership of Sergey Gardner, did our chimney sweep/inspection and dryer cleanup with the utmost professionalism and expertise! Sergey and his team were incredibly knowledgeable, and we look forward to working with them again in the future! Thanks so much!!
kathy newcomb
Professional, courteous and honest. Highly recommend and will call them for future service.
Michael Stanton
Customer-oriented and technically proficient company. Highly recommended.
K E Conner
The guys from Black Goose were professional and friendly. Checked out what we needed and answered our questions. Really appreciate their time and expertise. Thanks.
Eugene Schied
Sergey was fantastic. He explained everything about our fireplaces very clearly. He made recommendations for what needed to be replaced and repaired. He took great care to keep everything plan and put back in place.
Rosa Rainey
The young lady on the phone Elizabeth was so sweet and helpful. She helped me make my payment over the phone with no problem! It’s such a joy to still have good customer service around. I haven’t heard that hospitality since the 70s! Mike and Brandon were a delight to have! Thank you Black Goose!
Terry Moore
Great service. Fixed problem and thoroughly cleaned fireplace. Also made us aware of a potential problem in future and provided quote. We’ve used a couple different gas fireplace repair services in the past with less than satisfactory results, but Black Goose Chimney is the best by far. Thank you!
Chris Gibson
Very detail oriented and professional. Experience shows in the care they take to insure the client is happy.
Tim Fary
On time. Didn't try to upset or sell unnecessary service..explained exactly what the problem was and how he repaired it..The are on my first call listSergio was my tech and that's who I will request.
jason scribe
Outstanding professional work with a friendly efficient touch! I would enthusiastically recommend Black Goose hands down…
Leslie Stacks
We had a great first maintenance session with Black Goose Chimney for our gas log fireplace. Scheduling was easy, and on the morning of the maintenance, we were given a courtesy call to update us on the arrival time. Once at our house, the two workers were careful and respectful of our home and proceeded to inspect our fireplace and gas logs. They asked good questions and provided helpful information about our equipment, the safest and best way to use it, and possible improvements. Black Goose Chimney is now on our list of trusted professionals.
Andrew Nelson
Expert and prompt service. I am very happy with the installation and routine maintenance a year later.
Louise Moore
Extremely happy with the cleaning and door repairs John and his helper completed on their service call. I can’t wait for the first cool day to enjoy my fireplace. Both gentlemen were respectful in keeping area clean especially with fireplace soot . They went up on the roof to check for any defects. I will feel safe using my fireplace this fall and winter. I have a dog who is nosey so I had him contained but they made sure i knew when they had to open my backyard gate. I highly recommend Black Goose for anyone need fireplace concerns. They installed my first fireplace insert years ago and it is still working warmly with yearly inspections.
Rob Smith
Mike and Chris from Black Goose Chimney Sweep did an excellent job. I have used Black Goose for a few years now and have always had an excellent experience. They do not try to add on expenses saying well you need this or this has to be done now if it really isn't necessary for the safe operation of your fireplace and dryer. If anyone ever asks me who i recommend for fireplace and/or dryer vent needs i tell them Black Goose
Derek Shaffer
Laz Schaffer
Bobby was personal, professional, experienced & remediated my issues…currently waiting for parts to complete the job
Michael Brown
Great to work with. Mike and Brandon were very knowledgeable and helpful. Hope to have them back to do the remainder of work.
Jerri Michael
Black Goose has a great team from the phones to the inspection teams that do a great job inspection of chimneys and I have them do my dryer too. They provide the required reports I need for my HOA. They pricing is reasonable.
C.R. Brew
Nathaniel
They did a great job all except for Cris so on top of the fire box, I guess the trainee forgot to look up their this is what I pulled down
Milton Foster
Betty Downs
wonderful
Steven DeFonzo
I’ve been a customer for many years now and John and his team are always professional. They do a great job!
Diana Burris
John Wandling
Expert work reasonable price. Definitely recommend.
Brian Canfield
Lyles Forbes
Lori Bean
I would recommend Black Goose Chimney! Great customer service and work was completed from start to finish in a timely matter. I was kept informed every step of the way! I would definitely use this company again in the future!Thank you!Lori Bean
Sherri Schenkelberg
Mike and Chris came to do an inspection and sweep for us, and both were so friendly and professional. They did the cleaning from the inside with a vacuum, and did a great job of keeping everything clean. Great experience.
Jim Livengood
Heldur Liivak
Sergey Gardner, the owner of Black Goose Chimney, recently arranged followup work on a chimney cap job that was done over 2 years ago. No issues and no arguments "We will make it right."Super customer support and in this day and age not always the norm. I have used the company since the early 2000'a and will continue to do so as my first choice.
Betsy Rawles
i couldn't be more pleased with the service that I received from Black Goose Chimney. Experienced workmanship. Great communicators. Honest. Always on time for appointments. Can't say enough good things about this company and the people that I dealt with.
Jay Colley
Great efficient job by Bobby and his team. Very knowledgeable!
Miriam Harris
We had an outstanding experience with Black Goose. Glad, Arthur, and Sergey assessed the inoperable condition of our old, plain fireplace that was damaged by wildlife, and replaced it with a beautiful fireplace that we designed to our tastes. Price was fair, and the craftsmanship in the install was outstanding. We highly recommend the Black Goose team. Thanks so much from Pat and Miriam.
carolyn walker
Very honest. Very pleasant to work with. Even helped me get a fawn out of my yard at no charge. Letting me know exactly what I needed replaced and gave me an estimate
Xanthe Calzadilla
We hade Black Goose Chimney replace our old gas fireplace with an electric one back in early September '24. They were very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. Sergey and company finished the job in a timely manner, it's works great and looks fantastic.Move forward to April '25 and without going into great detail, the remote was lost. I reached out and with the help of Karen and Juanita, they were able to reach out and get us a replacement. I would definitely recommend them them, over and over.
denise chamblee
Incredible service. From the person answering the phone and scheduling an appointment to the service itself. Mike Wardley and Chris called prior to their arrival, were extremely professional, got the job done even though it was just supposed to be an evaluation. They went above and beyond to schedule an additional service. They were nice and clean and efficient. I can't say enough good things about my experience with the company and these 2 men.
CT Arrington
Absolutely horrible customer service. We called them to remove a dead bird from our dryer vent pipe. The tech claimed that they could not do any work because the external vent is too close to a power line. Refused to even try to fix the problem from inside our home. Another company came out and fixed the issue from inside our home!Worst part is they pressured our daughter into paying the full $159 service call fee then lied about the owner’s availability to speak with us and lied again saying they would refund half our fee.
Nick Will
Bobby and Brandon did a great job today, punctual, professional, clean and very thorough. Even very willing to answer any questions I had about my chimney.
Sunshine Hardison
Bobby is great to work with. Fast response and high quality work.
Michael Levenson
I have an outside gas fire pit that needed help. Sergery came out and had it back to working great after 2 visits. I thanked him the first visit and he told me not to thank him until job was complete and I am satisfied. When completed he followed up to make sure I was satisfied since I was out of town when job completed.To me that says a lot to have pride in your work and to really want the follow up on satisfaction confirmation. That customer service and pride has been lost lately with a lot of companies and it is good to see it again. Thanks!
Jen Test
Customer service is extremely poor
Lydia Clark
My glass doors, outside of my fireplace, had gotten broken..Black Goose had to measure, and special order the doors.They replaced them and did an excellent job.
Steve Thompson
We called Black Goose Newport News to install an electric fireplace & shiplap in our family room. The space was previously used for an old fashion tv & stereo system built into the wall. They did an exceptional job filling in the space and making the room look modernized. Top quality workmanship!!!
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