The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative (MCSI) is today launching a crucial new set of factsheets. These factsheets are being targeted at property owners with resident Chimney Swifts. In many cases, Chimney Swifts nest in chimneys attached to an a furnace, whether working or not. However, in some cases, especially in private homes, Chimney Swifts nest in chimneys dropping into to the household fireplace. In the next week we expect eggs to begin hatching and the parent swifts to begin the new phase of regular feeding of young birds.
Following four incidents, two in 2017 and two in 2018, of nests falling from the wall of a chimney into a fireplace, MCSI felt that we needed to act. In each year, chicks from one nest were returned successfully to the chimney and fledged following intervention by MCSI volunteers. Although we were delighted with this outcome, we also had a situation in each year, where due to a lack of information, swifts were not returned to the chimney in good time, and the adult birds abandoned their young. In these cases, with a heavy heart, the swifts were delivered to a rehabilitation centre. Although the staff and volunteers at the rehabilitation centre were able to raise the chicks, due to the short breeding season in Manitoba. the birds had to be flown to London Ontario to be released by the excellent Debbie Lefebre at Swift Care Ontario. This approach did lead to birds being returned to the wild in both years BUT we do not want to make a habit of flying birds halfway across Canada to release them for various reasons. In Manitoba, our swifts remain for a much shorter period than London, and therefore the window to raise, train and release young swifts is too short. It is therefore an imperative that the swifts are returned to the chimney, returned to their parents, who will feed, train and lead these young swifts to survive their first months of life.
Our objective is to ensure that if a nest falls into the base of the fireplace, the chicks are returned to the chimney as soon as possible by part of the MCSI team. We have also produced a separate sheet which is being sent by Manitoba Sustainable Development to various groups who may receive a call about baby birds in the fireplace, including rehab centres, veterinarians, pest control companies and chimney sweeps.
The new factsheets, were drafted by Christian Artuso and the Steering Committee, and designed to fit in with our existing series of facthseets by the talented Richard Cain.
We are looking for help from you, our volunteer network. We really need to get this message out in communities across Manitoba. You can help in the following ways:
- We have stacks of factsheets, and would love it if you could take some to local community centres, libraries and other meeting places that people may see them;
- Pin up the front page on community notice boards;
- Hand deliver to houses which you think may have, or get swifts nesting in the chimney; and
- Post the images above across social media or share from the Facebook page @ManitobaIBA (simply add this as your search on Facebook).
Please email us if you can help – we want to get these factsheets distributed widely and quickly.
Happy swift-ing, and let’s help make 2019 a very successful year for our swifts!
— Tim Poole, Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative Coordinator
