Chimney Swift

Chaetura pelagica (Linnaeus, 1758)

Chimney Swift, Chaetura pelagica, breeds in south-central and south-eastern Canada and in central and eastern USA, and spends the non-breeding season in western South America. It is a swift in the family Apodidae. The bird is known for nesting on vertical surfaces, most often inside human-made chimneys. Before chimneys were common, it used hollow trees instead, and that remains a rare option today. It has no subspecies. Its nest is made from twigs held together with saliva, and the female lays 4–5 white eggs.

Order

Apodiformes

Family

Apodidae — Swifts

Breeding range

North America: sc, se Canada and c, e USA

Nonbreeding range

w SA