Happy Monday and welcome to another Chimney Swift monitoring recap! There’s a lot to go through as we catch you up on a busy week of monitoring (July 11th–17th) which included our most recent Chimney Swift monitoring blitz on Wednesday, July 15th. There were a number of exciting observations and more indicators of nesting throughout the week, so let’s get right into it!
July 3rd – 10th
First, a handful of interesting reports from early July came in after our last recap. Here is a brief summary of what was seen:
Hartney
Despite the Hart-Cam Museum chimney being used in 2023 and 2025, Katharine didn’t see (or hear) Chimney Swifts in Hartney during an initial watch on June 8th. Wanting to give the birds another chance to materialize, Katharine conducted a second monitoring session at the site on the evening of Saturday, July 4th. Unfortunately, there was again no trace of the flying cigars. There was however interesting Barn Swallow behaviour to be seen. As Katharine described:
“Two different Barn Swallows kept flying up to the sunny second story west wall of the [Hart-Cam] Museum and hovering around it before departing a short distance and flying back to repeat the strange behaviour. Finally, I watched as one or the other would cling to the brick wall, hang briefly and lean over to peck at the wall. They appeared to be picking off insects that had landed on the wall, or at least I assume that is what they were doing. I have never seen this type of foraging behaviour in an aerial insectivore before!”
Selkirk
Fred and Nettie watched the west tower (2021-T01) at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre during roosting hour on July 9th, recording two swifts entering the tower to roost.
On the 10th, Patti and Dennis observed the infirmary attached tower (2021-T03) and east infirmary chimney at the SMHC during roosting hour. Two and five Chimney Swifts roosted in the tower and the chimney, respectively.
Winnipeg
Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood
Tai observed the chimney at the Canadian Mennonite University during roosting hour on July 9th, recording up to eight Chimney Swifts flying in the area but only a single swift entering the chimney to roost.
St. Boniface
Blair watched the chimney at Niakwa Park Plaza during roosting hour on July 3rd, recording a maximum of one Chimney Swift in the air at a time. However, Blair saw a daytime chimney exit, an entry and exit within one minute just before sunset, and a final entry two minutes before the end of roosting hour. As shared by Barb:
“… the shift from late-stage incubation (where partners make those classic exchanges – entry followed by exit within 2 minutes) to hatching is very subtle. The frequency of partner exchanges is about 1x per hour for incubation and that increases to 2 or 3x per hour for feeding brooded young… Once the non-brooded stage is reached, then both parents can be out feeding and you tend to see slightly longer duration-in intervals as an adult comes in, delivers food and perhaps rests for a couple of minutes.”
Assuming there was already an adult Chimney Swift in the chimney when Blair’s observation began, and with a partner exchange rate of ~2x per hour, it is highly likely that a pair was taking turns foraging and provisioning brooded chicks in this chimney!
On the 9th, Blair watched the chimneys at Arundel Apartments (780 and 790 Elizabeth Rd) during roosting hour. No use was seen at the chimney on 780 but, similar to the above observation at Niakwa Park Plaza, one Chimney Swift was seen entering and exiting the chimney on 790. The first entry and exit occurred within one minute just prior to roosting hour, and the final entry was recorded ~30 minutes later, again suggesting that a pair is caring for brooded young at this site!
Finally, Blair crossed a priority monitoring site off our list, recording a maximum of two Chimney Swifts in flight at the Marion Hotel on Friday, July 10th. Both swifts seen in the sky entered the chimney to roost. Again, the behaviour of these swifts (a rapid entry and exit early in roosting hour followed by entries ~20 and 30 minutes later) suggests these swifts may be brooding young at this chimney – perhaps with the assistance of a third unmated helper (as described in the All About Birds species account for Chimney Swifts), assuming another adult was present in the chimney before the watch began.
July 11th–17th
We received many monitoring reports this week, with 24 sites watched by 17 volunteers and program staff, totaling over 36 hours of chimney monitoring conducted on July 15th (our most recent Chimney Swift monitoring blitz) alone!
Carman
Rhonda returned to the Carman Memorial Hall on July 15th for a daytime monitoring session and observed three Chimney Swifts at the site, with all three entering the chimney at one time during her watch – possibly evidence of a mated pair and helper tending to young!
Dauphin
Ken sent a short report on Chimney Swift activity in Dauphin on July 15th. As Ken described, with back-to-back weeks of record-setting rainfall and heat came “record-low numbers for swifts” – only two swifts were seen entering two chimneys. We send our well wishes to all who have been affected by flooding in Dauphin and elsewhere in the province and hope for a quick recovery in these communities.
La Salle
Following Lorne’s observation of Chimney Swifts circling just after sunset in June, Gibson watched the chimneys at St. Hyacinthe Parish Church during a mosquito-filled roosting hour on July 15th. Only one swift remained in each of the east and west chimneys at the end of roosting hour despite a total of six swifts seen at the site. Unfortunately, a raptor entered the area shortly after sunset, perching atop the church’s spire. The swifts that remained in the air scattered and were not seen or heard again for the duration of the watch. However, this observation still crossed one priority site, the east chimney, off our list!
Selkirk
Brittany watched the east tower (2021-T02) at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre during roosting hour on Saturday, July 11th. A total of nine Chimney Swifts were seen in the area and one roosted in the tower but a fireworks display beginning shortly before the end of roosting hour seemed to slow swift activity.
Chimney Swift activity in Selkirk was well-documented on the night of July 15th; seven chimneys and towers were observed during roosting hour! Here’s what was seen:
Fred and Nettie watched the west tower (2021-T01) at the SMHC, recording three swifts at the site. Two swifts roosted in the tower, and a daytime entry followed by an exit ~40 minutes later suggests a pair are likely incubating eggs in the tower and not yet raising chicks.
Monty and Lisa observed the SMHC east tower (2021-T02) and, with ten swifts seen and five roosting in the tower, had a very exciting watch! With Chimney Swifts entering and exiting the tower frequently during daytime and roosting hour, it is highly likely that parental swifts are provisioning brooded or non-brooded young alongside unmated adults roosting in the tower.
Dennis and Patti watched two sites, the east infirmary chimney and the infirmary-attached tower (2021-T03) at the SMHC, counting nine and four swifts near the sites, respectively. Four Chimney Swifts roosted in each site; an exit from the chimney before sunset with no prior entry recorded suggests an adult on a nest prior to roosting hour, and frequent entries (with corresponding exits 2–3 minutes later) to the tower and chimney during daytime and before sunset suggest parents provisioning young in each! The tower nest may have reached the non-brooded stage, with both parents out foraging and spending a few minutes on the nest during each visit. No juveniles have been observed yet at either site, so future monitoring will (hopefully) confirm these suspicions!
Nia and Linda watched the powerhouse/“yellow brick” chimney and the stack replacement tower (2021-T04) at the SMHC. Six swifts were accounted for between the two sites, with two and one entering the chimney and tower to roost, respectively. No activity was seen at either site prior to roosting hour, and no chimney exits were recorded, similar to what Nia and Linda observed at these sites a week prior on July 8th.
Finally, Program Assistant Brooke observed the chimney at the Lord Selkirk Hotel, a priority monitoring site. The last recorded use of this site was in 2023 as a roosting site. Unfortunately, no Chimney Swifts were seen at or near the site on this evening.
On Thursday, July 16th, Winona watched the large chimney on the Merchants Hotel during roosting hour and recorded zero swifts.
St. Adolphe
Barb and Rob continue their dedicated monitoring of the chimneys and tower in St. Adolphe! Barb shared an incidental observation on July 16th when the swifts at the St. Adolphe RC Church were active during the morning rain and a more detailed report of swift behaviour on the morning of Friday, July 17th:
“Rob watched the Tower while I watched Brodeur Bros./Daycare (under supervision from Qilliaq). We were set up by 9:35 and 9:40 respectively; 100% overcast with smoke and Air Quality Warning; wind moderate gusting to strong; no precipitation although it rained ~1/4″ at 1 AM in our yard.
Brodeur Bros./Daycare (9:40–10:40): entry at 10:30:04 after 2 cycles of drop, flutter-and-veer off just above rim. Feeding over Rectory briefly in between exit at 10:33:59. Up to north then immediately to west then south; fast, low, alone. The breeding attempt continues with incubation indicated.
Tower (9:35–1042): exit at 9:35:30. Entry at 10:03:15 (1 in). 10:36:36 peer-and-veer event. Entry at 10:40:42; approached with one other close by and it then veered off (2 in). Exit at 10:41:25 (1 in). The breeding attempt continues with feeding non-brooded juveniles indicated (2 consecutive entries) plus possible helper involved (veering off at 10:40:42 indicates pair approached when 1 was in).
… Both Rob and I saw max = 7 swifts in the air this morning.”
Along with this interpretation of the breeding stage of Chimney Swifts nesting in St. Adolphe and Selkirk, Barb shared some concerns:
“To have swifts still incubating at [the Selkirk Mental Health Centre] and [St. Adolphe]… does give me cause for concern about launching fledglings before the seasonal bug supply dwindles… Local variation in weather may be a big issue this year… time will tell.”
As Barb put it, we have reached “the crazy stretch of hurdles and waiting, waiting, waiting for the incubating birds to start feeding.” The coming weeks should bring interesting observations and, hopefully, happy and healthy juveniles leaving the nest for the first time to fly and, eventually, fledge!
St. Andrews
Gerald watched a number of chimneys during two monitoring sessions in St. Andrews this week. On Sunday, July 12th, Gerald observed the Lower Fort Garry men’s house, furloft, and “red-shingled building” chimneys during a toasty 31°C roosting hour. Two Chimney Swifts were seen and roosted in both the men’s house and furloft chimneys, but the red-shingled building’s chimney was uninhabited (as it was the week prior). The men’s house chimney was the only one of these sites with daytime activity; a daytime exit, daytime entry ~20 minutes later, and a final entry ~20 minutes later during roosting hour could be interpreted as two parental swifts and a third unrelated (or helper) adult provisioning and/or roosting in the chimney!
On Monday, July 14th, Gerald watched the north and south chimneys on the St. Andrews Lock and Dam Powerhouse. A total of six swifts were seen at the sites, with two roosting in each chimney. No daytime entries or exits were recorded, which would suggest these chimneys may only be roosting sites used by adult Chimney Swifts this summer, not for nesting; however, there was greater activity seen in the north chimney on July 2nd (daytime entry and exit) and at both chimneys on July 8th (including a daytime exit at the south chimney). Maybe the 14th was just a quiet night for these swifts? Time will tell what is going on at these sites!
Winnipeg
Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood
Paul watched the chimney at the Canadian Mennonite University during the evening of July 12th, recording four Chimney Swifts flying at the site and reporting a temperature of 33°C at the start of the watch. Two instances of an entry and exit within two minutes, ~20 minutes apart, suggests parents are visiting a nest at the brooded stage! Another roosting hour watch by Paul during our July monitoring blitz (July 15th) revealed two of six swifts seen at the site entering the chimney to roost. A daytime entry at the very start of the watch followed by an entry and exit (within two minutes of each other) ~20 minutes later and a final entry another 15 minutes later supports this hypothesis!
Jo and Betsy watched the Assiniboine Park Tower (2018-T8) during roosting hour on the 15th. The only daytime activity recorded was a single exit from the chimney and, with a surprising 17 swifts seen in the air, seven Chimney Swifts entered the tower to roost. The number of swifts roosting in the chimney comes as somewhat of a surprise knowing that it holds an active nest – we hope the parents weren’t too stressed with all the company!
Daniel McIntyre
On July 15th, Cam watched the chimney at West End Commons during roosting hour. Chimney Swifts haven’t been observed using this chimney in the last four years. Unfortunately, this night was no different; the only aerial action Cam saw was a police helicopter searching the area.
East Kildonan/Elmwood
Garry watched the chimney at 712 Watt St. (formerly Pro-Tac Roofing) on the morning of the 12th. With a number of entries and exits (within 1–3 minutes) ~30 minutes apart, parents were likely feeding brooded chicks at this time; thus, Garry reported a maximum of four swifts in the chimney at one time, assuming two parents and two young present!
Program Assistant Brooke observed the chimney at Gordon King Memorial United Church during the drizzly early afternoon of July 15th. Sadly, no swifts were seen.
On the morning of Thursday, July 16th, Brookelynn watched the MMF Artificial Tower (2025-T9). No swift activity was recorded – adults were likely sheltering away from the heavy rain – but camera footage confirmed swifts are still present and active in the tower.
Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry
Program Assistants Brooke and Gibson watched a number of priority sites in the Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry neighbourhoods on the morning of July 14th. Ten Chimney Swifts were seen flying near the Village Apartments on Stradbrook Ave., but the chimney’s entrance was fully grown over by trees and, thus, no interactions with the chimney were recorded. Next, Brooke and Gibson watched the chimneys on the Augustine United Church on River Ave. While no swifts entered or exited the chimney on the southeast corner of the church (the priority site), one exited the other chimney and a total of six were seen flying in the area. Finally, seven swifts were nearby but no use of the chimney at Signature Homes Ltd. was seen.
Gibson returned to the area on the 15th, watching the chimney at a private residence on Kylemore first. There were no swifts to be seen here, and any that might have been in the area may have been sheltering from a light rain. Similarly, no swifts were sighted at the tower at 1022 Pembina Hwy, the former site of the Cambridge Hotel. The tower was erected in 2023 in hopes of giving the swifts that used the Cambridge Hotel’s chimney in previous years a chance to find it before the demolition of the hotel in May 2025; however, with noisy construction directly next to the tower, it is unsurprising that none established a nest at this site this summer. Thankfully, the day was not a total bust; in the afternoon, two Chimney Swifts were recorded quietly exiting the Overlook Apartments chimney ~30 minutes apart, crossing this site off our priority monitoring list. Assuming an entry was missed around the time of the second exit, this suggests a parental pair was trading off incubation duties or foraging to feed brooded young!
North Kildonan
On July 15th, Brooke observed three chimneys in North Kildonan. First, Brooke recorded ten Chimney Swifts near Linlee Apartments and the Radmon House, with zero and one entry at the sites, respectively. Use of the Radmon House chimney during this watch was more likely related to the poor weather, with occasional light rainfall during the watch, rather than nesting activity. Two swifts were seen near Valhalla Gardens later in the afternoon, but Brooke found that a newly installed pest cage made the chimney inaccessible to Chimney Swifts.
Meredith conducted a roosting hour watch at Chief Peguis Junior High School on the 15th, recording a total of three swifts flying at the site but only one Chimney Swift entering the chimney quickly and quietly to roost.
Frank watched the north chimney on the McBeth House during roosting hour on the 15th. Both of the two Chimney Swifts seen at the site entered the chimney before the end of roosting hour.
River Heights/Fort Garry
Gibson watched the chimneys at 1181 Pembina Hwy (formerly the Flag Shop and a priority monitoring site) and the Dollarama at 1295 Pembina Hwy on the afternoon of the 15th. Six swifts were seen at the sites which are both located below a busy flight path, with airplanes passing overhead every few minutes. The swifts didn’t interact with the Dollarama chimney, but a single quiet entry was recorded ~40 minutes into the watch at 1181 and, assuming an exit was missed near the time of the entry, a pair may have been trading off incubating eggs. This is supported by Tim’s report from the same site on the evening of the 17th, an incidental observation of a daytime entry to the chimney.
St. Boniface
Blair watched the chimney at Nordale School during roosting hour on July 15th and did not see or hear any Chimney Swifts in the area.
St. James
Breanne conducted a roosting hour watch at New Silver Heights Apartments on the 15th. Four swifts were recorded near the site, with two entering the chimney to roost and a number of entries and exits during daytime and roosting hour, crossing this site off our priority list. The longer gaps between entries and exits (3–8 minutes) and the adults apparently taking shorter turns in the chimney rather than switching out nesting duties might suggest the presence of non-brooded young at this site!
St. Vital
Finally, Blair had a straightforward watch at Fernwood Apartments on Tuesday, July 14th, with two Chimney Swifts entering the chimney during roosting hour and remaining there for the night.
Overall
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers for continuing to collect important data on Chimney Swift breeding activity in Manitoba. With signs pointing to some nests reaching the brooded and non-brooded stage, the coming weeks will hopefully yield sightings of juveniles as they spread their wings for the first time! Monitoring remains critical at this stage to confirm the presence and number of young at these nesting sites. If you are interested in looking for swifts at a new site, check out our Priority List for monitoring to see where we still need to confirm roosting or nesting this year.
Mark your calendar: our final monitoring blitz of the year is on Wednesday, August 12th! For other news about monitoring milestones and updates on all things swift, keep an eye out for future monitoring recaps here on our blog and follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
That’s all for this week. Catch you in the next one!
– Gibson (Program Assistant)
