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

mfeavel@helpingwildlife.org

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