Hello everyone!
It’s hard to imagine that this time last year the first swifts had already been reported in Winnipeg. As I’m writing this, it’s snowing outside my window at the Albert St office. A seemingly never-ending winter. That being said, the swifts are making their way north and will likely be arriving in the next few days. According to eBird reports, they were spotted just outside Fargo, ND on May 2. Here’s hoping there are insects for them to eat once they arrive! Ahead of the swift’s return to Manitoba, I wanted to send out some details about the upcoming monitoring season.
I also wanted to remind anyone who has not already done so to RSVP for our Season Kick-Off Event happening at the Assiniboine Park Zoo next Tuesday, May 12! For more information and to RSVP, click here.
Monitoring Info 2026
Datasheet & protocol: The datasheet and protocol for 2026 can be found on the Resources and Links page of our website in both English and French.
The protocol is where you will find full monitoring instructions, including start/end times, duration, safety information, instructions on how to fill out the datasheet, etc. In the protocol, we also go over the differences between roost hour monitoring and daytime nest monitoring, and what type of monitoring is best based on the time of year. I’ve added a link to our new interactive map to the protocol. If you see a chimney near you that doesn’t have data from the 2025 season, it could need monitoring! Other than that, only the important dates have changed from last year’s protocol (which I will mention again below).
Volunteer sign-up form: Please fill out the volunteer sign-up form for 2026 (for new and returning volunteers): https://forms.gle/bXxziae5p8RGg1Ve7
NRMP dates: The National Roost Survey (“NRMP”) dates are May 20, May 24, May 28, and June 1. If you are free to do a roost monitoring session on one or any of these nights, let us know. Otherwise, you can begin monitoring whenever works for you!
Monitoring blitzes: We will be holding monthly monitoring ‘blitzes’ throughout the season. The goal is to get a snapshot of what is going on at swift sites across the province, by monitoring as many sites as possible on a given night. Monitoring can be done during the day or during the roosting hour. The blitz dates are: June 17, July 15, August 12.
Resources: If you would like a volunteer lanyard, factsheets to hand out to the public, or any other monitoring resources, please let us know!
Priority sites: Every year we have a list of priority sites to monitor. These priority sites are chimneys that haven’t had confirmed use by swifts in a few years, so we want to reaffirm these sites as important Chimney Swift habitat. For these sites, the goal is to see an entry or an exit – once we’ve had a confirmed observation of a swift using that chimney, we can cross that site off our priority list. We will update the list on the blog every week. The list will be at the end of this blog post. Please note that private residences don’t have the full address listed. If you would like more information about a chimney on a private residence, please contact Mackenzie at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com.
We can’t wait to see what this monitoring season brings! As always, please contact us if you have any questions, comments, or would like to be matched with another site.
-Mackenzie
Priority site list (May 6)
| Community | Neighbourhood | Location | Site |
| Brandon | – | 1203 Princess Ave | Orange Block (North Chimney) |
| Carman | – | 2nd Street | private residence |
| Carman | – | 1st St. SW | private residence |
| Clearwater | – | 8-10th Street & Boundary Trail | Harvest Moon Learning Ctre |
| Eriksdale | – | 16 Railway Avenue | St John’s Anglican Church and former Eriksdale Museum |
| La Salle | – | 27 rue Beaudry | Ste Hyacinthe Church (East Chimney) |
| Lac Du Bonnet | – | 68 1st Street | Casey’s Inn |
| Lac Du Bonnet | – | 100 1st Street | Gran’s Bakery |
| Melita | – | Veteran’s Way | private residence |
| Melita | – | Ash Street | private residence |
| Melita | – | 133 Summit St | Melita and Area Health Centre |
| Melita | – | 139 Main Street | Agriculture Building |
| Neepawa | – | 500 Hospital Street | Neepawa Health Centre (Memorial Hospital) |
| Pilot Mound | – | Railway Street | private residence |
| Portage la Prairie | – | 329 Duke Avenue | Portage Correctional Centre (large chimney) |
| Portage la Prairie | – | 16 Royal Road South | MTS Building |
| Selkirk | – | 420 Main Street | Lord Selkirk Hotel |
| Selkirk | – | 241 Manitoba Ave. | A&G Brows and Spa |
| Souris | – | 5th Ave W | private residence |
| Souris | – | 26 Cres. Ave E | Hillcrest Museum (East Chimney) |
| Souris | – | 99 2nd St S | Kowalchuk’s Funeral Home |
| Swan River | – | 518 Main Street | Commercial building |
| The Pas | – | 627 Cathedral Ave | Cathedral Apartments |
| Wasagaming | – | 106 Buffalo Drive | Stowaway Inn |
| Wasagaming | – | 133 Wasagaming Drive | RMNP Visitors Centre |
| Winnipeg | Daniel McIntyre | 583 Ellice Street | John Howard Society |
| Winnipeg | East Kildonan/Elmwood | 127 Cobourg Avenue | Gordon-King Memorial United Church |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 222 York Ave | Brink’s Canada (west chimney) |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 222 York Ave | Brink’s Canada (middle chimney) |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 33 Kennedy Street | Lincoln Towers Apartment |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 348 Assiniboine Avenue | Redboine Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 1022 Pembina Highway | Cambridge Hotel |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 411 Stradbrook Ave | Lancaster Apartment |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 277 River Ave | Royal Oak Court Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 272 Cockburn Street | King George Court |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 118 Scott Street | Apartment (central chimney with pest cage) |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 141 River Avenue | Ludlow Court Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 141 River Avenue | Ludlow Court Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 280 River Avenue | Moxam Court |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 245 Bell Avenue | Children’s Education Funds Inc |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 444 River Ave | Augustine United Church |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 444 South Drive | St. John’s Ravenscourt – residence |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 39 Balmoral Street | Apartment |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 634 Broadway | Apartment |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 180 Main St | Sky Bridge Americas |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 303 Assiniboine Avenue | Newcastle Apartments (south chimney) |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 303 Assiniboine Avenue | Newcastle Apartments (north chimney) |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 45 Edmonton Street | House of Hesed |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 444 South Dr | St John’s Ravenscourt |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 375 Stradbrook Avenue | The Village Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 780 Osborne Street | Overlook Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 415 Mulvey Avenue East | Dominion Auctions (D’s Warehouse) |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 424 River Avenue | River Manor Apartments (invisible chimney) |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 549 Gertrude Ave | Trinity Baptist Church |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 415 Stradbrook Avenue | The Wakefield |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 395 River Ave | The Biltmore |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 94 Roslyn Rd | Signature Homes Ltd |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 321 Stradbrook Ave | Fontana |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 351 River Ave | The Rosemount |
| Winnipeg | Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry | 464 St Mary Avenue | Mall Plaza Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Mynarski | 935 Main Street | Ukrainian National Federation |
| Winnipeg | Mynarski | 135 Anderson Ave | St John’s Cathedral |
| Winnipeg | North Kildonan | 25 Valhalla Drive | Valhalla Gardens |
| Winnipeg | North Kildonan | 31 McBeth St | McBeth House (A) East chimney (centre) |
| Winnipeg | North Kildonan | 31 McBeth St | McBeth House (A) South chimney (right) |
| Winnipeg | North Kildonan | 1030 Brazier St | Linlee Apartments |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 520 William Ave | Living Gospel Church (West Chimney) |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 520 William Ave | Living Gospel Church (East Chimney) |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 100 Adelaide Street | Immigrant Centre Building |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 91 Albert Street | The Old Market Autonomous Zone |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 442 William Avenue | Filcasa Housing Coop |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 41 Princess St | Peck Building |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 471 William Ave | Victoria Court |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 54 Adelaide Street | Nejmark Architects |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 52 Albert Street | Gregg Building |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 80 Lombard Ave | Nutty Club Food Club |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 515 Waterfront Dr | Vita Foam |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 150 Pacific Avenue | Children’s House |
| Winnipeg | Point Douglas | 527 Waterfront Dr | Restmore Bedding Co Ltd |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 465A Lanark St | Lanark Gardens |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 465D Lanark St | Lanark Gardens |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 890 McMillan Avenue | Milan Apartments |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 394 Academy Road | Uptown Lofts |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 1295 Pembina Hwy | Dollarama |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 1181 Pembina Hwy | Flag Shop |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 465B Lanark St | Lanark Gardens |
| Winnipeg | River Heights/Fort Garry | 378 Academy Rd | River Heights Apartments |
| Winnipeg | St Boniface | 393 Marion St | Marion Hotel |
| Winnipeg | St James | 2160 Portage Ave | Stanley Park Apartments |
| Winnipeg | St James | 2150 Portage Ave | Thunderbird Apartments |
| Winnipeg | St James | 155 Traill Avenue | Theton House |
| Winnipeg | St James | 2415 Portage Avenue | Essex House, pest cage |
| Winnipeg | St James | 2235 Portage Ave | New Silver Heights Apartments |
| Winnipeg | St James | 1790 Portage Ave | Carillon Towers |
| Winnipeg | St James | 271 Hampton St | St Anne’s RC Church (east chimney) |
| Winnipeg | St James | 271 Hampton St | St Anne’s RC Church (north chimney) |
| Winnipeg | St James | 1780 Portage Ave | Marner Apartments |
| Winnipeg | St James | 1975 Portage Ave | Assiniboine Gordon Registration Building |
| Winnipeg | St Norbert | 70 St Pierre Street | St Norbert Parish Church |
| Winnipeg | St Vital | 151 St. George Road | St. George School |
| Winnipeg | St Vital | 891 St Mary’s Rd | Good News Fellowship Church |
Mackenzie
