About the MCSI


Do you host Chimney Swifts in your chimney? Is your chimney in need of repair? MCSI may be able to help. MSCI works with organizations and building owners to cover the cost of repairs to Chimney Swift chimneys as part of our habitat stewardship work. See our Chimney Swift Champion page for more information.


The Chimney Swift, a small brown (sooty coloured) bird living in your neighbourhood chimneys, can induce a great passion in people and communities. Across Canada, hundreds of volunteers spend countless hours watching the skies as these birds,  weave around catching insects, before taking the plunge into the dark recess of their seasonal home. Unfortunately, the Chimney Swift populations have declined by a large amount in Canada since the 1960’s, and they are now listed under both the Manitoban and Federal Government Species at Risk Acts.


Swifts trio flying
Swifts trio flying

In 2006, members of the Manitoba Naturalists Society (now Nature Manitoba), led by Lewis Cocks, formed the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative (MCSI) with membership and funding from the private sector and the three levels of government. The aim was to do something tangible for the swifts; the objective was to determine the distribution of the population and then design, locate and build new habitat. The current Steering Committee membership of MCSI includes Nature Manitoba, Assiniboine Park Zoo, the Province of Manitoba, Environment and Climate Change Canada and other independent researchers and experts, all committed to conserving these special birds.

Since these early days, the initiative has evolved and our objectives can be classified as:

  • Monitoring roosting and breeding Chimney Swifts;
  • Implementing stewardship initiatives, including the restoration of existing habitat and building of new habitats;
  • Conducting outreach with schools and communities, championing Manitoba’s Chimney Swift conservationists and giving public presentations.
  • Researching biology of Chimney Swifts in Manitoba

MCSI is a volunteer-led initiative and we are always looking for new volunteers to assist with any of the activities above. Please see our volunteer pages to find out what you can do to help Chimney Swifts in Manitoba.

The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative is supported by the Government of Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) and  from the Bluebird Fund. In previous years, the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative has received grants from the Manitoba Conservation Endangered Species and Biodiversity Fund and from their Sustainable Development Innovations Fund (SDIF) and from Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding program and Environmental Damages Fund. The project has also received support from Manitoba Hydro, the Lady Gray’l Fund, the James L. Baillie Memorial Fund, Birds Canada, the Winnipeg Foundation and other sources.

Volunteers at the St. Adolphe tower

In 2008, the MSCI used a successful Texas-designed artificial tower plan to erect swift towers in the Starbuck area (near a private residence), St. Adolphe (near R.C. Church), Portage la Prairie (near old train station/museum), and Winnipeg (Assiniboine Park and Windsor Park Golf Course).  The original towers were never used. Following MCSI research on temperature profiles in the towers (compared to chimneys used in buildings) we designed a successful made-for-Manitoba tower.  In addition to watching the artificial 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.

For more information:

Our project coordinator may be contacted at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com or by phoning the Nature Manitoba office at 204 943-9029