Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Conservation Status
Near ThreatenedAves · Apodiformes · Apodidae
About
The chimney swift is a bird belonging to the swift family Apodidae. A member of the genus Chaetura, it is closely related to both Vaux's swift and Chapman's swift; in the past, the three were sometimes considered to be conspecific. It has no subspecies. The chimney swift is a medium-sized, sooty gray bird with very long, slender wings and very short legs. Like all swifts, it is incapable of perching on flat surfaces, and can only perch on vertical surfaces. Many fly around all day and only come down at night when roosting.
Fun Fact
Chimney swifts cannot perch on branches — their tiny feet are designed only for clinging to vertical surfaces, and they originally roosted inside hollow trees before switching to chimneys after European colonization.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Urban areas and chimneys
Diet
Insectivore
Lifespan
4-5 years
Threats
- Illegal Wildlife Trade
- Poaching
- Climate Change