Those amazing Chimney Swifts
I had an amazing encounter with Chimney Swifts on the evening of October 15. Bob Guth called and asked if I would count the swifts that evening since he had to attend a meeting. Bob was afraid the swifts might already be gone. In October, Bob is on hand each evening in downtown Goshen at the building next to the Church of the Brethren. A lone chimney there is used by Chimney Swifts each night as they prepare to head south. By the middle of October almost all the swifts are gone from northern Indiana and Ohio. Small numbers may still be found for another week or two, but swift sightings in November are extremely rare.
I had often watched Chimney Swifts returning to their nightly roosting site at the Millersburg Elementary School in Holmes County, but this was my first time to watch them here in Goshen. It had been a rainy day and a few patches of drizzle remained around 6:45 p.m. but the skies partially cleared right on time. The first seven Chimney Swifts passed high overhead at 6:59, their chattering calls heard over the traffic on Main Street. Over the next 15 minutes, small flocks of swifts showed up, flying in all directions. At first the birds were all high in the sky, but gradually they flew lower and more in a circular motion.
As the circle became tighter over the chimney, some birds made false dives toward the chimney but pulled up and re-joined the flock, which by then numbered at least 70. Finally, at 7:17 one swift entered the chimney, but for another minute or two, no others followed. All this time, the swifts were chattering and flying in a tight circle, almost enough to make me dizzy. I was standing beside the church, very close to the chimney. Then other swifts left the flock and dove into the chimney. I was able to count them fairly accurately since they entered in small groups, with numbers 88 and 89 bringing up the rear. I remember having a strange feeling as the sky was suddenly quiet and empty. What an experience. No wonder Bob has gotten hooked on watching them every evening. But then, Bob is even more of a counter than I am, which is saying a lot.
One of the advantages of owning a set of the Handbook of Birds of the World is the ability to read the latest on bird families, in this case, swifts. There are 92 different species of swifts in the world. Their taxonomy has been up-in-the-air over the years. The latest research, using DNA studies, reaffirms the earlier practice of placing swifts close to hummingbirds and not far from owls and nightjars. However, it is clear that there is much more to learn. Within the swifts there are at least three main groups and vary a lot in size but their fast flight and shape makes them relatively easy to identify as swifts, although identification to species can be difficult in some parts of the world. When we lived in Davao City, Philippines, there were at least seven or eight different swifts, some of which were quite similar.
Swifts spend virtually all of their time in the air. There is even evidence that some species actually roost on the wing, at altitudes of 6,000 feet or higher. I imagine this as similar to watching resting ducks that appear to be sleeping but keep correcting for the current, etc. Likewise, swifts rest balancing into the wind, with occasional wingbeats as needed to stay aloft.
Chimney Swifts are summer residents in the eastern half of North America, just barely reaching into the southern reaches of Canada. They winter in the mountains of Ecuador and probably over much of northwestern South America, where their identification is difficult due to other similar swifts in the region. The 92 species of swifts are found around the world, except in the northern and southern extremes where finding insects would be problematic.
Im guessing our Goshen swifts will be gone in the next few days, but I may join Bob to watch their nightly show until they depart. I must say that I have a fairly strong urge to follow them south..
Good birding!
Bruce Glick
birderbruce@yahoo.com
330-317-7798
