Chimney Swifts:The Challenges and
Rewards of their Rehabilitation
Mandy FeavelDirector of Animal Care
Wildlife In Need Center Overview
• Founded in 1994• Oconomowoc, WI• Admit over 3,200 wild patients each year to our
wildlife hospital• Representing 140 different species• Birds, mammals, reptiles & amphibians• No Striped Skunk or White-tailed Deer
• 15 educational animal ambassadors• Education depart. gives ~140 programs/year• 5 full time staff, 5 part-time staff• 2-3 seasonal part-time staff• 18 Animal Care and/or Education interns/year• Over 130 animal care volunteers
Overview
• Overview of species and natural history
• Swifts in rehab• Diet• Hand-rearing swifts
• Hatchling/nestling care• Fledgling care
• Common injuries, diseases and issues
• Adult admissions• Release• Conservation and Education
Natural History & Ecology
• Their summer range is in the eastern half of US and southern Canada (where they are considered a threatened species)
• Winter in South America
• Life expectancy of 4-5 years
• Pre-colonial times, swifts nested and roosted in large hollow trees
Chimney Swift Behavior
• They don’t perch (in traditional sense)
• Ten tail spines help support them
• Both sexes are identical in appearance
• Nicknamed ‘flying cigars’
• Swifts are “aerial insectivores” which means they feed exclusively on the wing
• They even bathe in flight
• They do not fly at night• Other species can/do (European study)*
Chimney Swift Habitat
• So much remains unknown about this species
• Spend the day in wide-ranging fast flight, above the clouds
• Their habitat includes that airspace
Chimney Swift Habitat
Nesting Roosts; used during breeding season
Photo by: Greg W. Lasley/Vireo
Resting Roosts; used during migration
Photo on right by: Greg Schechter
Two types of roosts used by Chimney Swifts:
Nesting
• Both sexes are involved in making the nest
• Lays 4-5 eggs (can be up to 7)
• Hatch after 18-19 days of incubation
• Open their eyes around 15 days
• Around 21 days they will venture off the nest to perch alongside it and “practice flap”
• Fledge from the chimney around 28-30 days
Photo by: Northeastern Chimney Sweeps
• People may hear a family/nest in Chimney• They won’t be in the chimney long
• Young that fall from nests• Is re-nesting an option?
• We take the opportunity to talk with the “Swift landlords” at admission or follow up• Habitat conservation is important
• Adults that collide with windows
Chimney Swifts in Rehabilitation
Image taken from: Rehab and Conservation of Chimney Swifts -
Fourth Edition 2004
Initial Exam
Like any other small avian initial exam;
• Palpate for major injuries• Check feathers for damage• Check nails for damage/worn• Patient history
• Most likely has been with out food/fluids for an extended time –fluid therapy is essential
• Place an individual leg band• Begin feedings
Chimney Swifts in Rehabilitation
• Getting them to eat – they will never be able to self-feed in captivity• Feeding responses
• May need to force-fed…carefully!
DietSwift Diet Recipe:60 ml vitamin water1/16 tsp calcium carbonate vitamin1/16 tsp soya Musca vitamin1/16 tsp yeast
- Mix together in a cup and add anywhere from 1/4 - 1/3 cup of appropriate sized mealworms (mini or medium). Add 20-30 waxworms per cup to feed individually. - Use small tip tweezers to prevent injury to beak or mouth while hand feeding.
*Gut-load your mealworms!*
Hand-rearing Hatchlings/nestlings
• Housed in incubator
• Should be fed every 30 minutes for 12 hours/day• Should be offered as many mealworms as
they want at each feeding
• Younger than 7 days old – do saliva transfer from other older swifts
• Monitor young ones for signs of infection – begin antibiotics if necessary
• Use mini-mealworms
• Weigh 5x-3x/week
Hand-rearing Hatchlings/nestlings-
Housing
Hand-rearing Hatchlings/nestlings-
Housing
Hand-rearing Fledglings
• Should be fed every 1 hour for 12 hours/day• This feeding schedule will continue until
release.
• You MUST track every individual at each feeding
• Use medium mealworms
• Weigh 2x-1x/week
Hand-rearing Fledglings - Housing
Hand-rearing Fledglings - Feeding
Feeding Time!
Feeding Time!
Hand-rearing Fledglings –Flight & Landing Practice
• Fruit fly colony in outdoor enclosure
• “Stir up” the fruit flies to encourage feeding behavior
• Try to keep at chimney entry level so swift are excited by insect movement
• Change the fruit as needed
• We will stay after feeding to watch some practicing
• Not enough to be their full diet
Hand-rearing Fledglings –Catching Food in Flight
Adult Admissions
• Be patient
• Be gentle with hand feedings• May never be “good” at hand-feeding
• Network to see if you can get swifts in rehab together
• Depending on injury, may be placed with young swifts
Common injuries/diseases/issues
• Fires in chimneys – cause singed feathers or burns, respiratory issues
• Punctures by cat attack
• Fractured leg or fractured wing
• Bacterial infection
• Yeast infection of the digestive tract• Inappropriate diet
• Euthanasia Decisions• Over-winter swifts?
Release Considerations
• Chimney Swifts body and feather condition
• Weather and time of day
Ready, Set…
Release!
Release and A Swift Night Out!
A Swift Night Out
• Swift Night Out is a continent-wide effort to raise awareness about Chimney Swifts and their roosting sites.
• Organize one with volunteers or people through your rehab group
• People become very interested once they see this spectacle in person!
Photo by: Steve Benoit
Conservation and Education
• Identify and preserve nesting and roosting sites in chimneys or silos
• Educate primary stakeholders –homeowners, schools and businesses with masonry chimneys
• Host a Swift Night Out
• Plant native plants, don’t use pesticides
Questions?
Contact Information
Mandy Feavel, Director of Animal Care
Wildlife In Need Center - Oconomowoc, WI
References
• Diehl, Robb “The Airspace as Habitat”. US Geological Survey. Conference presentation 2018.
• Kyle, G. and Kyle P. Rehabilitation and conservation of Chimney Swifts. Driftwood Wildlife Association 2004.
• The Wildlife In Need Center
• The Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group