![]() That means that most homeowners don’t notice them until it’s too late. Why You Need to Act QuicklyĬhimney swifts start to enter chimneys in the spring, a time when most people aren’t thinking about lighting a fire. And once you have them, you’re stuck with them: since chimney sweeps are federally protected, it’s illegal to remove them once they’ve settled down. One or two birds wouldn’t be much of a problem, but unfortunately, chimney swifts sleep in massive communal roosts of hundreds or thousands. Like most swifts, these birds spend almost their entire lives in the air, only coming down to briefly nest and then leave again. What Are Chimney Swifts, And Why Are They Such a Problem?Ĭhimney swifts are small, cigar-shaped birds with long, slender wings. Here are some tips for keeping chimney swifts at bay. The very worst offender is probably the chimney swift, who can occupy chimneys in the hundreds or thousands. ![]() One place you really don’t want birds nesting? In your chimney. ![]() Learn how to build a chimney swift tower.Now that it’s spring, you’ve probably noticed birds building nests in trees, bushes, empty mailboxes, and pretty much any other spot they can find. Often, a chimney swift pair will readily accept them the first year, he says. Paul Kyle says other bird lovers who are "do-it-yourself" types might consider building towers that mimic chimney nesting sites. But, he says with some disappointment, "the little brats just won't move in." He's also designed his own chimney to entice swifts to nest there. Hempel, a self-proclaimed ecology buff, works actively within the chimney sweep guild to promote an understanding of chimney swifts so that his colleagues know they can suggest alternatives to disturbing or destroying nesting swifts. "When it doesn't, there's always the federal law to fall back on." "Reminding people that these birds eat the mosquitoes that often keep homeowners from enjoying their backyards works most of the time," he says. When customers call him to get rid of the nests in their chimneys, he uses the opportunity to tell them about the thousands of bugs that the birds devour. He makes up for the loss in sales by getting homeowners to commit to annual cleanings. For at least 15 of the 25 years he’s been in business, he’s been encouraging his customers to leave the birds alone and not to cap their chimneys. Paul Hempel, a chimney sweep in Brighton, Illinois, is one of them. ![]() They realize that doing what is environmentally correct doesn’t have to hurt their business." But there are also many in the profession who are dead set against doing such a thing. "Some will break the law, scrape the birds out of the chimney, vacuum them up and put them in the trash. "The lure of money can be tempting during the slow part of the year," Paul says. Besides directing the North American Chimney Swift Nest Site Research Project for the Texas-based Driftwood Wildlife Association and working with Partners in Flight, the couple also realizes that one of the most obvious ways to help chimney swifts is to enlist the help of chimney sweeps.Īlthough it's illegal to disturb nesting migratory birds, when a homeowner calls to get rid of them, it's sometimes hard for a chimney sweep to resist. PAUL AND GEORGEAN KYLE have worked hard to cover all the bases when it comes to protecting chimney swifts. Professional chimney cleaners help birds get a grip
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