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DDEPARTMENTEPARTMENT OFOF DDEFENSEEFENSE PPARTNERSARTNERS ININ FFLIGHTLIGHT, W, W INTERINTER 20112011--20122012 PPAGEAGE

SteppingstonesNEWSLETTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

PARTNERS IN FLIGHT PROGRAM

WWINTERINTER 20112011--20122012

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also known as ‘fish hawks’,are large fish-eating birds of prey. A true conservationsuccess story, North America Osprey have staged adramatic recovery during the past few decades due to thebanning of harmful pesticides (most notablydichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT), conservationefforts that provided nesting structures, and successfultranslocation and hacking programs.

However, with conservation success comes newchallenges. Osprey exhibit a remarkable tolerance tohumans and adapt well to urban environments. Breedingpopulations of Osprey adjacent to military airbases andcivil airports increase the risk of collisions between Ospreyand aircraft. As North American Osprey migrate to theirwintering areas in Central and South America, theytraverse numerous military airspace use areas. The risks tohuman safety and damage to aircraft associated withOsprey-aircraft collisions are a serious flight safetyconcern, highlighting the need for research andmanagement efforts designed to mitigate such risk.

Supported by theU.S. Department ofDefense LegacyResourceManagementProgram, I led amulti-agencyresearch effort from2006 to 2010. Thegoal of our workwas to incorporatesatellite telemetrytechnology and geo-spatial referencingto quantify the bird-strike risk ofbreeding andmigrating Osprey.

We studied Osprey nesting in the Back River of theChesapeake Bay adjacent to Langley Air Force Base inVirginia. During the 2006 and 2007 nesting seasons, wecaptured 13 adult Osprey (5 males and 8 females) usingcarpet-noose traps at their nests. Within this group, wesuccessfully captured and satellite-tagged three breedingpairs.

We fitted each Osprey with unique color and U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service leg bands and a global positioningsystem (GPS)-capable satellite transmitter, and thenreleased it at the nest site. We programmed the satellitetransmitters to collect location and movement information10 times each day at 2-hour intervals.

Using the fine-scale location and movement informationprovided by the satellite-tagged Osprey, we gained newinsights into Osprey breeding ecology. This informationprovided a better understanding of the movements,activity patterns, and habitat use of male and female adultOsprey. Also, we gained a detailed understanding ofOsprey space use and selection of resources within theirbreeding territories.

Reducing the Risk of Osprey Strikes with Military AircraftReducing the Risk of Osprey Strikes with Military Aircraft

Military installations provide valuable habitat for birds, and serve asMilitary installations provide valuable habitat for birds, and serve as steppingstonessteppingstones during migration.during migration.

Continued on next page

INSIDE:

Reducing the Risk of Osprey Strikeswith Military Aircraft........................... 1

Managing Public Lands for Birds ...... 3

Balloons, Bombs, and Birds.............. 3

Swifts, Swifts, and More Swifts!… ... .5

View from the Eyrie… ....................... 7

Policy Perch: The Need forEnhanced Program Oversight........... 8

The Flight of the Chimney Swift ........ 9

Call for Examples.............................. 9

Cross-Bird Puzzle ........................... 10

Answer Key..................................... 11

Osprey in flight over the Chesapeake Bay.Photo: Tom Olexa

DDEPARTMENTEPARTMENT OFOF DDEFENSEEFENSE PPARTNERSARTNERS ININ FFLIGHTLIGHT, W, W INTERINTER 20112011--20122012 PPAGEAGE 22

Reducing the Risk of Osprey Strikes with Military Aircraft (cont.)Reducing the Risk of Osprey Strikes with Military Aircraft (cont.)

During fall migration, Osprey traveled an average of 4,600km to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean and SouthAmerica. Female Osprey began their fall migrations inAugust, whereas males typically began in September.Breeding pairs did not migrate or winter together. Trackinginformation revealed that Osprey migrated during the dayand roosted at night, and identified stopover habitats

important to mi-grating Osprey.With a betterunderstanding ofOsprey migrationpatterns, we canenhanceconservation andmanagement effortsfor these birds.

Using dataprovided by thesatellite-taggedOspreys during thebreeding season, weconstructed noveltime and 3-D space-specific models ofhow breedingOsprey use areaswithin their nesting

territories. We then analyzed these models to determinewhere Ospreys were most prevalent within criticalairspaces used by military aircraft during flight operations,and thus within what airspace the risk of Osprey strikeswas greatest.

Osprey migrated through numerous military training air-spaces along the Atlantic seaboard. We developed noveltime and 3-D space-use models to quantify the riskmigrating Osprey pose to military flight operations. Usingthe information provided by this research effort, the timingand routing of military training flights can be scheduled toreduce the risk of Osprey-aircraft collisions.

Only through science-based research can we identifyspecific hazards and evaluate the risk breeding andmigrating birds pose to military flight operations. Thisresearch also has applications for measuring theeffectiveness of current Osprey conflict managementpractices and for developing long-term managementstrategies to allow Osprey and military aircraft to co-existin a safer flying environment.

- Dr. Brian E. Washburn, USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services,National Wildlife Research Center, Sandusky, Ohio

The author holding an adult maleOsprey fitted with a satellite transmitter

near Langley Air Force Base, VA.Photo: Dr. Brian Dorr

Three-dimensional Osprey-strike risk models, such as the one shown here, allowfor effective management to reduce Osprey collisions with military aircraft

operations at Langley Air Force Base.

During its fall migration, Osprey M52 passed byseveral military airfields (represented by yellow

dots) and through numerous military trainingroutes (presented by lines and 5-mile buffers).


Managing Public Lands for BirdsManaging Public Lands for Birds

The U.S. Committee of the North American BirdConservation Initiative (NABCI) is launching an effort withits federal and state agency partners to coordinate andassist with the management for birds on public lands. InMay 2011, NABCI partners released The State of the Birds2011 Report on Public Lands and Waters.

This year’s report provides the nation’s first assessment ofthe distribution of birds on public lands and helps publicagencies identify which species have significant potentialfor conservation in each habitat. The Department ofDefense (DoD) manages approximately 29 million acresof land, air, and water resources, including moreendangered and imperiled species per acre than any otherfederal agency. Because most DoD lands were acquiredbefore modern urban growth, these lands often representthe largest blocks of remaining bird habitats in manyrapidly developing landscapes.

DoD lands are disproportionately important for some spe-cies, such as to Elegant Trogon, Berylline Hummingbird,and Buff-breasted and Sulfur-bellied Flycatchers in south-western pine-oak forests. The U.S. NABCI committee workswith DoD staff, state fish and wildlife agencies, U.S. ForestService, Bureau of Land Management, and other federalagencies to foster improved regional collaboration for the

conservationof thesebirds andtheirhabitats.

Guided bysuccessessuch as theefforts onDoD landsto restorepopulationsof the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker in the south-eastern U.S., the NABCI Committee hopes to highlight theshared responsibility of federal and state resource managersfor bird conservation across public lands. As the sayinggoes, many hands make light work. Through improvedcoordination of on-the-ground management actions withinparticular habitats, DoD and its sister agencies can gainvaluable partners in their efforts to conserve and restorebirds and their habitats.

- Allison Vogt, Bird Conservation and US NABCI CoordinatorAssociation of Fish & Wildlife Agencies


Balloons, Bombs, and Birds...Balloons, Bombs, and Birds...

In 2002, Dr. Kirt Fristrup and his crewfrom the Cornell Laboratory ofOrnithology conducted some pioneeringwork with acoustics at Fort Hood, Texas.This group successfully affixed recordingdevices as a payload to helium-filledweather balloons and flew the balloonsover Fort Hood to collect data onvocalizing birds in impact areas wherehuman access is very limited. The balloonsystem, which included lightweightmicrophones highly sensitive to birdsongs,digital audio recorders, and an onboardglobal positioning system ([GPS] alongwith on-the-ground GPS track logging,altitude control, and bidirectional wirelesscommunications), was developed with theultimate objective of automating thecollection and analyses of bird song datafrom remote or inaccessible sites.

Fast-forward nine years to Fort Riley,Kansas, and Big Oaks National WildlifeRefuge, Indiana (the former JeffersonProving Ground). Dr. David Buehler and histeam (the Team) from the University ofTennessee, along with assistance from theU.S. Army Engineer Research andDevelopment Center, EnvironmentalLaboratory, are taking this work a few stepsfurther. With funding from the DoDEnvironmental Security TechnologyCertification Program (ESTCP), the Team isworking to validate the flight performanceof the balloon platform system (termed theAutonomous Aerial Acoustic RecordingSystem [AAARS]) and assess detection andcorrect classification rates of target avianvocalizations, all under the range ofenvironmental and operational conditionspresent on three eastern U.S. militaryinstallations.

http://www.stateofthebirds.org/


The specific objectives the team is addressing include: demonstrating the ability of the AAARS to collect data

on avian vocalizations for threatened, endangered,and at-risk species (TER-S) over accessible trainingareas (as a proxy for performance over non-accessibleimpact areas) on military installations;

demonstrating the value of the data collected forsupplementing and enhancing avian monitoring dataalready collected on military installations thatsupports regulatory and legislative compliance (e.g.,National Environmental Policy Act, Executive Order13186, Migratory Bird Treaty Act [MBTA]), and theconservation and stewardship of TER-S birds;

training DoD natural resources staff on select militaryinstallations on the use of this technology;

evaluating the ability of trained DoD staff to deploythe technology and analyze and use the data collected;and

comparing the accuracy, precision, and cost ofmonitoring data collected by AAARS to data collectedby conventional means across a range of DoDinstallations.

The Team has worked diligently to improve thetechnology of the AAARS by implementing significanttechnological upgrades to nearly all its components,including onboard GPS and altitude control. Duringsummer 2011, the Team redeployed the upgradedsystems at two mid-western installations with greatsuccess. The system recorded target bird vocalizations andprovided tracking telemetry to spatially correlate theaudio data and track the system flight path. The Team alsogained exceptional control of the flight system and safelyand reliably recovered the system during more than 300test flights.

Additional technologies used in the study include MP3audio devices containing amplifiers and speakers thatsimulate a breeding avian community by playing backrecorded vocalizations on demand. Bird song simulatorshave proven to be very useful in evaluating theperformance of AAARS and human observers because itprovides exact control over which species recording isplaying, where it is located, and when it is playing.

The actual flight trials occur in training areas with varyingterrain and vegetation communities. Dr. Buehler, thetechnical lead on the project, stated:

This is part of the demonstration and validation componentof the project. We want to show that the system is able todetect a variety of different vocalizing birds across a range

of habitats and terrain. We also need to show that the systemis both deployable and recoverable in these differentlandscape settings.

Ultimately, the AAARS will prove useful in detectingpresence as well as density of vocalizing birds ininaccessible areas where it is very difficult or unsafe forhumans to conduct ground-based surveys.

The DoD has an excellent track record of integratingnatural resources management with the military mission.Up to this point, however, DoD natural resources staffhave been unable to fully assess the significance ofinaccessible areas to TER-S bird populations. This projectwill provide critical information that will significantlyimprove DoD's ability to comply with a variety oflegislative mandates, including the MBTA and theEndangered Species Act. Furthermore, monitoring TER-Sin previously inaccessible areas will directly support theobjectives of the DoD Coordinated Bird Monitoring Planthat recommends focused monitoring on species that havethe potential for future impacts to the military mission.Implementing the AAARS will enable natural resourcesstaff for the first time to inventory which species arepresent in inaccessible areas, estimate relative abundanceand density of these species, and track status of thepopulations over time. Documentation of TER-S birddistribution, relative abundance, and density ininaccessible areas, in conjunction with existing data fromoutside these areas, will improve understanding of the roleDoD lands play in providing important habitat for avariety of at-risk species.

For more information on this project, visithttp://www.serdp.org/Program-Areas/Resource-Conservation-and-Climate-Change/Natural-Resources/Species-Ecology-and-Management/RC-201112.

- Rich Fischer, Research Wildlife BiologistU.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

Balloons, Bombs, and Birds… (cont.)Balloons, Bombs, and Birds… (cont.)

Team members holding an AAARS in Fort Riley, KS.Photo: Rich Fischer


Swifts, Swifts, and More Swifts!Swifts, Swifts, and More Swifts!

As the fallseason fades, themigration ofVaux’s Swifts(Chaetura vauxi)throughWashington State,and specificallyJoint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM),comes to an end.This pastSeptember wasexciting for themany people who had the opportunity to view thephenomena of thousands of small birds entering achimney on the base.

The swifts migrate each spring from Mexico and southernCalifornia to breed in southeast Alaska, British Columbia,Washington, Oregon, and California, and return south inthe fall. Migration numbers are greater in thefall due, in part, to juveniles born in thesummer now joining the adults.

Vaux’s Swifts recently started using brickchimneys because their preferred nesting androosting habitat—hollow, often broken-toptrees large enough for them to fly inside—aredifficult to find. However, these old-fashionedbrick chimneys are no longer being built andthe existing ones are being torn down orsealed. This is producing a serious nestingand roosting site shortage for Vaux’s Swifts.

The Vaux’s Swifts were first found at the JBLM chimneyon September 24, 2009, following a report that bats wereentering a building in the early morning hours. The batsturned out to be Vaux’s Swifts – hundreds of them. Thischimney is 70 feet tall with square inside measurements of36 inches. It is located in the Lewis Main area of JBLM. Thebuilding and its chimney were built around 1946 as aheating plant for three adjacent warehouse buildings.The building and its chimney are not scheduled for anyalterations.

From September 2009 through September 2010, onlysporadic observations and counts were made at theJBLM chimney. Observers estimated 3,000 swifts for thefall 2009 migration. The northbound (spring) migrationin 2010 had 6 observations, totaling 400 swifts in thechimney. The southbound (fall) migration had 3observations, totaling 10,600 swifts. Burney Huff, avolunteer, conducted a more concentrated observationeffort in the spring of 2011; he provided his findings inthe following table and graphs. The spring migrationtotaled 38,500 swifts roosting in the JBLM chimney.

Top and Left: Burney Huff’sfindings from a more concentratedobservation effort from April 23—June 2, 2011. The spring migration(traveling from the south to thenorth) totaled 38,500 swiftsroosting in the JBLM chimney.Graph and table: Barney Huff andValerie Elliott

Author and other interested swiftobservers (both human and non-human).

Photo: Mary Kun



Burney Huff, alongwith several othervolunteers herecruited, continuedcounting for the fall2011 migration. Atthe time this articlewas written, thesouthboundmigration was notquite finished, but itwas definitelywinding down.Observations of thesouthboundmigration began onAugust 29th andcontinued as of September 28th. During this time, the year’s highest total of birds was

observed on September 15, and amounted to 14,695. Thetotal number of swifts counted during this fall migrationperiod was over 150,000, as seen on the graph.

Currently, observers have identified four of Washingtonstate’s Vaux’s Swift migratory communal roost sites thatthey believe to shelter over 90% of the species in bothmigrations. These roost sites are located in Old NorthernState Hospital (Sedro Woolley, Skagit County), MonroeWagner Elementary School (Monroe, Snohomish County),Selleck Old School House (Selleck, King County), andJBLM. It appears that the Old Northern State Hospital siteis presently attracting large numbers of migrating Vaux’sSwifts. As these swifts migrate south, they do not stop atMonroe Wagner Elementary School or Selleck Old SchoolHouse, whose totals were one third of those recorded lastyear. The data suggest that a lot of the swifts are stoppingat JBLM. For the fall 2011 migration, JBLM is the secondmost significant site in Washington state. Researcherscurrently estimate that the world's population ofmigratory Vaux’s Swifts is as low as 200,000. If this is avalid figure and the average length of stay at any one roostsite is three days, that would mean that during thismigration JBLM sheltered 50,000 of these swifts, or 25% ofthe world's population. Pretty amazing for a 70 footchimney!

Additional information about the Vaux’s Swifts and theirmigrations can be found at www.vauxhappening.org.

- Valerie R. Elliott, Natural Resource Planner,Joint Base Lewis-McChord (WA), DPW,

Environmental Division, Fish & Wildlife Branch

Swifts, Swifts, and More Swifts! (cont.)Swifts, Swifts, and More Swifts! (cont.)

Top: Thousands ofVaux’s Swifts insidea chimney.Photo: Brad Benson

Right: Vaux’s Swiftsflying aroundthe chimney atJBLM.Photo: MiriamVillacian

Burney Huff’sfindings from August29—September 27,2011. The fallmigration (from northto south) totaled over150,000 swiftsroosting in the JBLMchimney.Graphs: Burney Huffand Valerie Elliott


It’s hard to believe that 2011 is almost over.As this 20th anniversary year of DoD Partnersin Flight (PIF) comes to an end, the Programcontinues to improve its role to support andenhance the military training, testing, andsafety mission. However, many challengesstill remain. Budget issues will play asignificant role in shaping everyone’s abilityto manage resources on DoD lands andnatural resources personnel will be remindedto “work smarter” throughout 2012. Whatthis often means is that one person must perform the tasksof two or three. In my opinion, the DoD natural resourcescommunity works hard and is already smart; how can wework smarter?

The Partners in Flight mission has three basic priorities:helping species at risk; keeping common birds common;and establishing and maintaining voluntary partnershipsfor birds, habitats, and people. The power of PIF lies in thesynergy that builds when diverse, committed groups whocare about birds work together for a common goal. DoDPIF applies these principles within the DoD naturalresources communities. Most of us know that partnershipsinvolve working “outside the fence” with other agenciesand groups. However, inside-the-fence partnerships arebecoming just as critical with the increase of work, lessmoney available, and fewer personnel. DoD PIF isworking with the newly formed DoD Partners inAmphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) program toexpand this concept to build a synergy within andthroughout DoD. DoD PARC’s mission is to conserveamphibians, reptiles, and their habitats as integral parts ofour ecosystem and culture through proactive andcoordinated public/private partnerships. While birds andherps (reptiles and amphibians) may not seem to benatural partners (herps can be good bird food!),conservation is all about habitat management. Birds andherps share habitats on DoD lands that provide an idealenvironment for DoD biologists to work collaboratively tosupport and enhance the military mission through habitatand ecosystem conservation and management whileleveraging public and private partnerships.

Effective tools help us work more efficiently(smarter). Through the StrategicEnvironmental Research and DevelopmentProgram (SERDP), Environmental SecurityTechnology Certification Program (ESTCP),and Legacy Resource Management Program(Legacy), DoD funds projects that develop,demonstrate, and apply the latest science andtechnology to improve DoD’s environmentalperformance, reduce costs, and enhance andsustain mission capabilities. DoD PIF reviews

all bird-related Legacy proposals to ensure funded projectsmeet bird conservation priorities. Monitoring birds andother elements of biodiversity is crucial to understandingwhat species exist on DoD lands and whether trainingactivities impact these populations. DoD PIF is workingwith the U.S. Geological Survey and the American BirdConservancy to develop a strategy for monitoring birdsthat will help identify species with the highest potential tonegatively impact the mission, as well as identify tools andguidance on how and where to most effectively monitorthose species. DoD faces unusual monitoring challengesdue to unexploded ordnance and other hazards thatprevent human access to certain areas. As a result, Legacyhas funded several acoustic monitoring projects. Astechnology improves, new methods enhance these existingapproaches. For example, ESTCP is currently funding anautonomous aerial acoustic recording system (AAARS)project (see Balloons, Bombs, and Birds article on page 3).Monitoring tools such as AAARS improve DoD's ability tocomply with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, NationalEnvironmental Policy Act, Executive Order 13186 , theEndangered Species Act and, where applicable, theMigratory Bird (“Readiness”) Rule.

Partners in Flight, the North American Bird ConservationInitiative, the Council for the Conservation of MigratoryBirds, and conservation initiatives for shorebirds,waterbirds, waterfowl, andupland game birds allcontribute to improving ourconservation efficacy.Engaging non-birdpartnerships focusing onherps, bats, pollinators, andinvasive species will be thenorm for DoD PIF in the next20 years.

- Chris Eberly,DoD PIF Program Coordinator

View From the EyrieView From the Eyrie


Policy Perch: The Need for Enhanced Program OversightPolicy Perch: The Need for Enhanced Program Oversight

President Obama’s Executive Order (E.O.) onPromoting Efficient Spending, signed November 9,2011, reinforces that we are in the midst of verychallenging fiscal times. Yet, environmentalpressures from climate change, invasive species,wildlife disease, alternative energy development,and a host of other challenges continueunabated. As a result, we are again being forced to makedo with fewer resources – not just for environmentalprograms, but across DoD.

In response to the E.O., the Office of the Secretary ofDefense (OSD) leadership has called on me and othersenior program managers to increase our oversight ofenvironmental programs. My charge for the NaturalResources (NR) Program is to determine:

What did DoD get for the money and time spent(return on investment)?

How did the Military Services move the NR Programforward (e.g., management initiatives, investments,policy changes, behavior changes, different outcomes)?

What trends can we glean from Environmental Quality(EQ) data call inputs?

What is the overall health of the NR Program?

DoD has embarked on three parallel and complementarynatural resources-focused efforts to respond to thesequestions, and to demonstrate clearly the ongoing essentialvalue that natural resources management provides tomission sustainment and long-term resource stewardship.Specifically, we are taking steps to:

1. Improve and expand upon existing natural resourcesmetrics;

2. Enhance information presented at our annual OSDEnvironmental Management Reviews (EMRs); and

3. Revise existing Conservation program budgetelements.

Improve and Expand NR MetricsMy office now has three years’ worth of data reported onthe seven Focus Areas. Our next step is to evaluate thatinformation in detail to identify key trends, determinewhat the metrics are telling us, and learn what we can doto improve measurement accuracy.

Enhanced EMRsEach Military Service must demonstrate during annualEMRs how its NR Program enables the military’s testingand training mission. That is, how do their naturalresources programs ensure that military personnel have

continued access to a realistic trainingenvironment, while simultaneouslymaintaining the long-term sustainability of ournation’s priceless natural heritage? Thisrequires not only improved metrics, but alsoenhanced program narratives to demonstrateour return on investment.

Hence, I am asking for more detailed and illustrativeexamples of program-wide accomplishments to usewherever it’s important that the audience understand theimpact of our program investments (see the callout box onthe next page).

Revised program budget elementsOur office also is working to revise the Presidential Budget(PB-28) exhibit for most Environmental Managementprogram areas. The effort’s stated goal is to develop asingle commonly agreed upon format that aligns Programand Budget funding submissions with the DoDComponents’ Execution reporting. The new format mustanswer some key questions:

What is DoD’s money buying in terms of physicaleffects at the installation level?

What impacts will 5%, 10%, and 15% decreases infunding have at the installation level?

What have we done in the past (Execution reporting)? What do we want to do in the future (Budget and Pro-

gram Objective Memorandum [POM] submissions)?

SummaryOur enhanced program oversight, as represented by thesethree parallel efforts, is one of the most importantinitiatives that our office has undertaken. To defend ouressential NR Program resources from what are sure to beincreased pressures from all who allocate fiscal andmanpower resources, we need to jointly put forth the mostcomplete and compelling story possible. I firmly believethat each of these initiatives will help us achieve thatoverall goal.

During this time ofthanksgiving and holidaycelebration, my warm wishes toeach of you, your families andyour friends.

- Peter Boice,Deputy Director,

DoD Natural Resources


The Flight of the Chimney SwiftThe Flight of the Chimney Swift

The Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) is one of fourregularly occurring species of swifts (Chimney, Vaux’s,Black, White-throated) found in North America, and themost common one found east of the Rocky Mountains.Chimney Swifts historically nested and roosted in hollowtrees. As American pioneers moved westward across thecontinent, they cleared forests and removed the swifts'natural habitat. The birds that Audubon called AmericanSwifts became known as Chimney Swifts as they readilyadapted to the masonry chimneys erected by those samepioneers. Chimney Swifts winter in the upper AmazonBasin of Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Brazil. They arrive in thecontinental United States in late March and return to theirwintering grounds by early November.

We most commonly see adult Chimney Swifts when theyare in flight - usually in groups. When soaring, their long,scythe-shaped wings span about 12.5 inches and support aproportionally short body with a squared-off tail,reminiscent of a “flying cigar.” The flickering, bat-likeflight is due to short, massive wing bones, and a sharp"chippering" or "ticking" call accompanies their flight.Chimney Swifts use their claws and tail bristles to cling torough vertical surfaces since swifts are unable to perch orstand upright in passerine fashion.

Nesting begins in May, and can continue into August.Chimney Swifts are usually single-brooded, and there willbe only one active nest in any structure regardless of thesize of the site. The female normally lays three to five whiteeggs in a nest of twigs broken from the tips of treebranches, glued together with saliva, and attached to avertical surface, such as a chimney. Both sexes are involvedin nest construction, and alternate incubating the eggs for18 to 19 days. Chimney Swifts catch flying insects on their

wings, and bothparents feed theyoung. The feedingcontinues until thebirds fledge fromthe chimney, about30 days afterhatching. Hatchlingshave sharp claws,enabling them tocling to texturedsurfaces. By the timeChimney Swifts are21 days old, theywill cling tightly tothe nest or chimney

wall, rear back and flap their wings furiously until they arepanting and out of breath. Twenty-eight to 30 days afterhatching, young Chimney Swifts will leave the safety of thechimney for their first flight. Once an entire brood hasfledged, they will fly with their parents in slow, noisyparades in areas around the nest site. The young willreturn frequently to the roost during the first few days, butmay soon begin to visit other roosts in the area. At the endof the breeding season, the swifts’ communal instincts peakprior to fall migration. They congregate in flocks ofhundreds, sometimes thousands, at suitable roost sites,forming a flying vortex around the chimney at dusk.Although Chimney Swifts can withstand a few early coolsnaps, they will usually ride south on the first majorcold-front that blows through in the fall.

A Swift Night Out is a continent-wide effort to raiseawareness about and encourage interest in Chimney Swiftsand Vaux's Swifts. As summer draws to a close and theswifts finish raising their young, these fascinating aerialacrobats begin to congregate in communal roosts prior totheir migration in the fall. Keep your eyes to the skies atdusk in late July and watch for areas where swifts arefeeding. Look for a tall shaft, chimney, or similar structureto locate where Chimney Swifts (central to the east coast)or Vaux's Swift (Pacific coast) go to roost in your area. Onenight during the first weekend of August and/or theweekend after Labor Day in September, observe the rooststarting about 30 minutes before sunset and estimate thenumber of swifts that enter local chimneys. You will beamazed at these fascinating species! For more information,visit http://www.chimneyswifts.org/.

- Chris Eberly, DoD PIF Program Coordinator

A Chimney Swift watching over itsyoung in the nest.

Photo: National Park Service

Call for Examples!Call for Examples!

Send program-wide accomplishments to use in testimonies,speeches, interviews, etc. to [email protected].

Provides and protects access to land, sea, and air assetsthrough regulatory compliance;

Meets missionscape requirements for military use; Protects endangered and threatened species, and avoids

critical habitat designation through effective management; Avoids or minimizes adverse regulatory actions; Seeks to minimize restrictions/encroachment to testing and

training; Ensures sustainable use of lands and no net loss of

wetlands; Promotes enhanced public awareness of DoD’s mission, its

requirements and its accomplishments; and Provides recreational opportunities for soldiers, their

families and the public.


CrossCross--Bird Puzzle: Sporty BirdsBird Puzzle: Sporty Birds

Thanks to Peter Boicefor this edition’s

cross-bird puzzle!

Across3. Only Canadian World Series winner8. Shared by St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a Seattle

pro team9. Oglethorpe University’s pelagic11. One is a Hall of Fame Iron Man13. Wading birds found at William Smith College15. A hairless bird?17. Long Island University’s symbol doesn’t have the red

wings you’ll see on males in the marsh20. 2011 World Series participant21. You won’t often find this color in the chicken coop24. A different kind of ‘bird’ now that they’re in Winnipeg25. This city had three pro bird teams – Falcons, Hawks

and Thrashers26. Baltimore’s sports homage to native son Edgar Allen

Poe29. Led by Sidney Crosby now, Mario Lemieux previously30. Salisbury University is close enough to the Atlantic

to have several of these species as frequent visitors

Down1. This pro team takes flight in the City of Brotherly Love2. Many colleges have plain or golden ones; only Niagara

has this color4. The 2008 NCAA champ, their first coach was

basketball’s originator5. Oregon’s may be less mighty than Anaheim’s?6. Marquette’s are perhaps the best known7. Ken Harrelson’s sobriquet10. Mallards on steroids?12. A runner's favorite14. St. Joseph is one of Philly’s Big Five16. Stravinsky’s fave? Found in ballets, and on the

University of District of Columbia’s campus18. Will o’ the Wisps are only in uniform at Thomas

College (GA)19. This former Tiger pitcher’s nickname came from a

Sesame Street character22. These SE birds have game23. This Academy’s mascot soars above its counterparts27. Number of NFL teams with birds names28. Temple is another of Philly’s Big Five


DoD PIF Program CoordinatorChris Eberly ([email protected])

DoD PIF National RepresentativeJoe Hautzenroder ([email protected])

Deputy Director, Natural ResourcesPeter Boice ([email protected])

PPOINTOINT OFOF CCONTACTSONTACTS

CCCONTRIBUTINGONTRIBUTINGONTRIBUTING TOTOTO THETHETHE DDDOOOD PIF ND PIF ND PIF NEWSLETTEREWSLETTEREWSLETTER ISISIS EEEASYASYASY!!!Want to highlight bird conservation efforts on your installation?

Have a great bird image you just have to share?Send your ideas and images to Chris or Erica.

DoD PIF Websitewww.dodpif.org

National and Regional PIF Coordinatorswww.partnersinflight.org/contactus.cfm

Steppingstones Editor, Chris Eberly ([email protected])Steppingstones Production, Erica Evans, Booz Allen Hamilton([email protected])

CrossCross--Bird Puzzle Answer KeyBird Puzzle Answer Key

light inter age steppingstones - denix

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