ASWP's Chimney Swift Tower Project

While many people have placed birdhouses around their homes, some bird species prefer to live inside our houses--in our chimneys, to be exact. Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica), a neotropical migrant that adapted to using man-made structures when their original nesting and roosting sites (in old hollow trees) became scarce, are facing a new threat.

Many older homes and buildings are removing or capping their chimneys, while new construction utilizes smaller and less habitable techniques to vent exhaust. The result has been a dramatic decline in Chimney Swift populations throughout the northern latitudes. Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is building and placing artificial chimneys across our region--including at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve--to give Chimney Swifts new, safe places to nest and roost.

Check back for more information on our Chimney Swift Tower Project.