If you've found a bird in your chimney or fireplace please see our rescue guide here.
In April 2007 the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) listed the Chimney Swift as a threatened species, and it is now listed on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act. The Chimney Swift is listed as a Threatened Species under the Manitoba Endangered Species Act..
Chimney Swifts return to Manitoba around mid-May for the breeding season, and they depart in mid- to late August. They construct their nests in a dark, sheltered place, such as chimneys, barns, hollow trees, etc. The nest is built of twigs cemented together with saliva. They usually lay 4-5 white eggs, incubated by both sexes for 19 - 21 days. The young are altricial (naked and helpless at hatching), and tended by both parents. They open their eyes at 14 days, fly at 24 - 26 days, and leave the nest at 28 days. (Source:www.virtualmuseum.ca).
The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative is currently being supported by two separate Environment Canada grants, the Environmental Damages Fund (2014-17) and Habitat Stewardship Program (2014/15 & 2015/16). These grants are being used to develop different strands of our work here in Manitoba.
The project has received funding from the Manitoba government’s Endangered Species and Biodiversity (ESBF) and Sustainable Development Innovations (SDIF) Funds, Environment Canada’s EcoAction program, and the Endangered Species and Biodiversity Fund. The project has also enjoyed support from Manitoba Hydro, the Lady Grayl Fund, other institutions, and volunteers.
Please send queries about the project to mbchimneyswift@gmail.com .
In 2008, swift towers were erected in Starbuck, St. Adolphe, Portage la Prairie, and Winnipeg. In addition to watching these sites, we continue to identify and monitor roosting and nest sites around the province.
Nature Manitoba is pleased to be involved in this project to better understand the causes behind Chimney Swift population declines and hopefully reverse this trend .
Volunteers are always welcome. Activities include monitoring existing Chimney Swift nesting and roosting sites and identifying new sites.
Nature Manitoba members and members of the public are urged to become involved with this initiative!
MB Chimney Swift Website
For more information about the project and Chimney Swifts, please check our web site.
"Swift-Notes" blog
Check the blog for periodic updates on the project at http://swift-notes.blogspot.ca/
Chimney Swift Resources & Fact Sheets
Thanks to a grant from Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, MCSI have produced a set of 3 factsheets that highlight the continued plight of our friendly neighbourhood chimney dwellers and highlight the importance of continued conservation management.
- Factsheet #1: Chimney Swift: Manitoba’s Flying Cigar. This describes the ecology, life-cycle, Manitoban range and conservation of the Chimney Swift.
- Factsheet #2: Are Chimney Swifts Using My Chimney? A pertinent question! Descriptions and illustrations tell home and business owners how they might discover if their chimney is a home for Chimney Swifts.
- Factsheet #3: Become a Chimney Swift Champion. This gives people a taster of how they might champion the conservation of Chimney Swifts as home and business owners and/or volunteers.
The factsheets are available in both French and English versions, and either as paper copies or on their website. There are links to the documents on the home and resources pages of the MCSI website: mbchimneyswift.ca. They intend that these can be given to landlords, property owners, school boards, church councils, in fact anyone with a building with Chimney Swifts!
For a variety of other MB Chimney Swift reference materials, best practices guides and forms for volunteers, please check out their Resources page.
Many thanks to all of you for your time and effort!