While “smoking them out” may seem like a humane strategy, the heat, smoke, and fumes from a fire often injure or kill animals before they are able to escape. Homeowners should never attempt to remove a nesting bird or other animal by starting a fire in the fireplace. After the birds have left, the insulation can be removed before using the fireplace again. Likewise, if the chirping from the chimney is too loud, homeowners can temporarily pack the bottom of the flue with insulating materials to muffle the noise. If this happens, contact local wildlife authorities do not attempt to move or handle the birds yourself. If not, swifts or their young may accidentally fall into the firebox itself. For homeowners, the most important action to be taken is making sure the damper is completely closed. If hatchlings can be heard chirping inside the chimney, they should reach maturity in less than 4 weeks according to the Houston Audubon Society.Īlthough it may be disconcerting to hear their chirping from inside the chimney, once the birds have roosted there is little that can be done until the young leave the nest. If birds are observed flying around or heard within the chimney, but no hatchlings are heard, the nest most likely has newly-lain eggs that will take up to 6 weeks to reach maturity. Because of this, once a chimney swift takes up residence in a chimney structure, they often cannot be removed for several weeks as their eggs hatch and babies mature.īecause chimney swifts are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, their nests cannot removed until the young have left. Those who knowingly destroy nests containing eggs or young swifts can be penalized or fined under the law. Preferring dark, enclosed spaces, chimney swifts now make their annual nesting sites in chimneys, air shafts, or abandoned buildings.Ĭhimney swifts, along with several other species of migratory birds, are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Because they are unable to perch or stand upright like other birds, chimney swifts are unique in that they build their nests vertically. While these birds originally nested in hollow trees, expanding urban and suburban populations have caused them to search for new nesting sites. Known for their cigar-shaped body, chimney swifts are sometimes mistaken for bats due to their jerky and erratic flight patterns. However, chimney swifts are a protected species, and because of that special considerations must be taken when planning their removal.Ĭhimney swifts are small, brownish-grey birds that can be found throughout North America during the spring and summer months. When homeowners hear birds or other animals in their chimneys, their first instinct is often to remove the nest as soon as possible. Unfortunately, chimney structures tend to be the favorite nesting place of the chimney swift, a small, cigar shaped bird that migrates to North America from Peru each spring before returning South in the fall. While migratory birds are beautiful to observe from afar, most homeowners do not want them taking up residence in their homes.
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