Difference between revisions of "Chimney Swifts in Connecticut"

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[[Image:Mbrown_swift1.jpg|thumb|right|''Chimney swift, Indiana 2007 (1)'']]
 
[[Image:Mbrown_swift1.jpg|thumb|right|''Chimney swift, Indiana 2007 (1)'']]
 
'''Page under construction.....'''<br>
 
'''Page under construction.....'''<br>
The Chimney Swift Project is a joint venture between the Uconn Ornithology Lab and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP).  Chimney Swifts populations have experienced steady declines over the last several decades, yet the cause of this decline is unknown.   <br>
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The Chimney Swift Project is a joint venture between the Uconn Ornithology Research Group and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP).  Chimney Swifts are a common sight in the skies of the Northeast throughout the spring and summer months, but populations have declined steadily over the last several decades across their entire range.  In 2006, the CTDEP authored the Comprehensive Conservation Wildlife Strategy aimed at guiding the state's conservation efforts over the next several years.  A main tenet of this document is to "Keep common species common," to facilitate a proactive approach to managing wildlife species that may become threatened in the future. We hope to accomplish the following:<br>
  
  
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<span style="font-size: large">Biology and Conservation Status</span><br>
 
<span style="font-size: large">Biology and Conservation Status</span><br>
The Chimney Swift is an aerial insectivore that spends nearly all day on the wing, and roosts at night on sheltered, vertical surfaces.  Historically, the chimney swift roosted and nested in large hollow trees in the Northeast, but as European colonization removed most large trees and began constructing chimneys, the swifts took advantage of this new structure.  Chimney swift nests are constructed from small twigs and saliva that are glued to the vertical surface using saliva (see photo at right), in a semicircular shape.  Swifts are a migratory bird and typically return to Connecticut during the final week of April, and nest throughout May and June.    (''Chateura pelagica'')...
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The Chimney Swift (''Chateura pelagica'') is an aerial insectivore that spends nearly all day on the wing, and roosts at night on sheltered, vertical surfaces.  Historically, the chimney swift roosted and nested in large hollow trees in the Northeast, but as European colonization removed most large trees and began constructing chimneys, the swifts took advantage of this new structure.  Chimney Swift nests are constructed from small twigs and saliva that are glued together on a vertical surface using saliva (see photo at right), forming a semicircular cup nest.<br> Swifts are a migratory bird and typically return to Connecticut during the final week of April, and nest throughout May and June.
  
  

Revision as of 18:51, 20 May 2008

Chimney swift, Indiana 2007 (1)
Swift nest, New York (2)
Watching Vaux's swifts - Portland, OR (3)
Chimney swift, Indiana 2007 (1)

Page under construction.....
The Chimney Swift Project is a joint venture between the Uconn Ornithology Research Group and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP). Chimney Swifts are a common sight in the skies of the Northeast throughout the spring and summer months, but populations have declined steadily over the last several decades across their entire range. In 2006, the CTDEP authored the Comprehensive Conservation Wildlife Strategy aimed at guiding the state's conservation efforts over the next several years. A main tenet of this document is to "Keep common species common," to facilitate a proactive approach to managing wildlife species that may become threatened in the future. We hope to accomplish the following:


  • Develop and initiate an effective monitoring program that can be replicated by the CTDEP and other state agencies throughout the region.
  • Develop and test the effectiveness of a newly designed artificial nesting structure.


Biology and Conservation Status
The Chimney Swift (Chateura pelagica) is an aerial insectivore that spends nearly all day on the wing, and roosts at night on sheltered, vertical surfaces. Historically, the chimney swift roosted and nested in large hollow trees in the Northeast, but as European colonization removed most large trees and began constructing chimneys, the swifts took advantage of this new structure. Chimney Swift nests are constructed from small twigs and saliva that are glued together on a vertical surface using saliva (see photo at right), forming a semicircular cup nest.
Swifts are a migratory bird and typically return to Connecticut during the final week of April, and nest throughout May and June.


Artificial Nesting Structures
One of the main goals of this project is to design and deploy artificial chimney swift "towers". Several organizations have published tower designs that have been demonstrated to successfully attract breeding swifts, but none of these designs have been empirically tested. Although these tower designs have been successful, they can be expensive, labor intensive, and require significant skill to constuct. We intend to develop and test a tower design that is: relatively inexpensive, easy to construct, moveable, and composed of materials that are easy to obtain. A design that incorporates each of these traits is much more likely to be constructed and deployed by state agencies, conservation organizations, and private landowners.


Monitoring
The CTDEP has been conducting Chimney Swift surveys for the past several years, but would like to employ a survey scheme that


Public Education
There is great opportunity for public education throughout the duration of this project, and long into the future if the towers become a permanent fixture in the landscape.


Photo Credits:
(1) Michael Brown, 2007. http://www.flickr.com/photos/67383370@N00/518587619/ (2) Mon@rch: http://monarchbfly.com (3) Irene: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7791990@N04/1431355860/