Author: mbchimneyswift@gmail.com

Welcome to another weekly update, where we share what the Chimneys Swifts – and our volunteers – have been up to!

The soggy conditions across Manitoba thankfully came to a pause this week. We mostly saw warm temperatures with fair degrees of humidity across the province. With the inclement weather (hopefully) behind us, we’ve all been keen to see how the swifts have fared in the aftermath. Let’s take a look:

Selkirk

Beginning our recap in Selkirk, volunteers have stayed consistent with their watches – as per usual! On July 4^th, Winona monitored an apartment block on Main St. during the roosting hour. A group of four swifts were seen in the area, and their roosting began ~20 minutes prior to sunset. Two swifts made their way into the chimney, but one of them had a change of heart and decided to make an exit only two minutes before sunset. Minutes later, she observed another two entries. Swift activity ceased at 10:00 PM. In total, three swifts tucked into the chimney to roost.

A few evenings later, on July 8^th, Nia and Linda kept watch of the Stack Replacement Tower (T04) and the Yellow Brick chimney at SMHC. At T04, activity was minimal – the pair observed two entries that occurred more than a half hour past sunset. This is quite a difference compared to the frequent post-sunset entries and exits noted in the last recap… perhaps the swifts were feeling more decisive this week? Oh, the joys and mysteries of Chimney Swift monitoring! At the Yellow Brick chimney, two swifts entered the chimney to roost overnight.

On July 9^th, Fred and Nettie did an evening watch at SMHC’s Taller West Tower (T01). Interestingly, an entry was made at 8:20 PM – well before the roosting hour began. This was then followed by an exit at 9:10 PM. Then at 9:25 PM and 9:45 PM, respectively, single entries were observed. However, Fred and Nettie did note that there may have been a possible exit or very close fly-by at 9:40 PM. Sometimes, both parents will leave the nesting site before roosting hour ends for a final opportunity to feed. Based on what was observed, this is a very possible scenario! This site has definitely captured our intrigue, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the swifts continue to show us.

Lastly, out of Selkirk, the SMHC Infirmary chimney and the Infirmary-attached Tower (T03) were monitored by Dennis and Patti on the evening of July 10^th. At the chimney, the roosting hour saw two entries, followed by an exit, with another four entries then occurring within a 10-minute window. Five swifts were inside when monitoring concluded. At T03, two entries were made, resulting in two roosting swifts.

St. Andrews

Gerald once again kept tabs on the Chimney Swift goings-on in St. Andrews. Overall, it was a quiet night at the three Lower Fort Garry sites on July 5^th. That evening, no activity was observed at the Red Shingled Building – which seems to be a running theme. A single roosting hour entry was seen at the Furloft, and the Men’s House had an exit/entry just over 10 minutes apart. A better inference of what the St. Andrew’s swifts are up to was made last week, but with more limited activity seen this week, drawing any possible conclusions is challenging.

On July 8^th, Gerald saw a lot of activity at the Lock and Dam Powerhouse chimneys. An exit was first observed at the South Chimney at 8:47 PM, indicating a swift was inside prior to roosting hour – and perhaps even multiple! This suspicion was confirmed when an entry was then made at 9:30 PM, followed by two exits 10 minutes apart at 9:33 PM and 9:43 PM, respectively. Therefore, when that initial exit was made, a second swift must’ve been on the nest! An entry/exit then happened at 9:47/9:51 PM – likely a feeding of their brooded young. Two last entries were then made at 9:54 PM and 10:00 PM. Since two birds were seen exiting and entering at various points, I’m wondering if a third helper swift is involved in incubation, here.

Interesting activity was also seen at the North Chimney. First, an exit was made at 8:33 PM. No interactions with the chimney were then seen until 9:01/9:02 PM, when two pairs entered in just over a minute of each other. At this point, four birds would’ve been inside. An exit was then made at 9:03 PM – a probable exchange – followed by two more at 9:11 PM and 9:49 PM. For brevity’s sake, here’s a breakdown of what then occurred in the next ~10-minute timeframe:

• 9:49 PM – 1 exit
• 9:53 PM – 2 entries
• 9:55 PM – 1 exit
• 9:56 PM – 1 entry
• 9:57 PM – 1 exit
• 9:58 PM – 1 entry
• 9:59 PM – 1 exit

With such frequent intervals of entries/exits – coupled with the fact that up to four swifts were observed inside at once – is it possible that it’s acting as both a natal and roosting site? Stay tuned!

St. Adolphe

Exciting activity is still very much underway! This is what Barb had to say about the St. A sites this week:

July 7^th

“Good news continues in ST A… I did a 30 min. scan session behind the Rectory this morning between 9:30 – 10:00 AM. The swifts weren’t around when Qilliaq and I arrived to tend the planters at 9:15 AM but after 15 min., the flock started assembling. A max of 10 was counted = pairs with touching flights and V displays; some trio flying; group flying at large; and lots of low level feeding. I saw repeated drops ‘n’ veering off and low level flyovers of the Church chimney with some tilts…the peer ‘n’ veer events telegraph some interest of what’s inside. On July 1st, some feeding activity was picked up (brooded young involved) and today would be at least Day 7, so likely the non-brooded stage has been reached. When the juveniles can control their body temperatures, both parents can go off feeding and the youngsters are visible to other swifts as they pass by. Those birds are socially connected for sure. At 9:57:38 a single bird broke away from a low flying group over the parking lot and flew directly to the Church chimney and dropped in. At 9:58:12 a single bird exited the Church and flew quickly east to the cemetery field.”

“Lewis … watched the Club on Tuesday July 7; 12:20 PM to 2:05 PM; 24 C; high cloud. Max = 7 flying about and a lot of pair and trio flights mainly north of the Club Amical. An entry into the SE Club chimney was seen at 12:51 and an exit was seen at 12:53. Given the long session and quick turnaround time, it appears that incubation is underway. I get the sense that many breeding pairs of swifts had a later than usual startup this season.”

July 9^th

“The Church action was engaging and highlighted changes to the activity at a nest site as breeding swifts make progress with their nesting attempt. Thursday, July 9: 9:11 AM – 9:51 AM; no precipitation; light air movement; 0-24% cloud cover; 22 C. 9:20:25 entry 9:21:46 exit; duration-in interval = 1 min. 21 sec.; adult exchange or single bird making a feeding entry? 9:24:00 entry; between-visit interval = 2 min. 14 sec., so likely involves a second swift 9:25:46 exit; duration-in interval = 1 min. 46 sec. 9:39:00 entry; between-visit interval ~13-17 min. 9:41:51 entry; 2 IN which indicates a pair is feeding non-brooded juveniles 9:49:48 exit into a group flying low over the rim; duration-in interval ~8 or 11 min.; 7 IN AIR + 1 IN chimney = total of 8 swifts accounted for. Multiple observations of swifts flying over low to the rim for tilt ‘n’ veer viewing which also telegraphs unbrooded young inside. 4 feeding entries made in 40 min. = rate of 6 X hour which is very good!”

July 10^th

“Friday, July 10: 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM; no precipitation; light air movement; high haze; 23 C plus humidex advisory; Weather statement issued. Many low flying swifts feeding in vicinity. Moulting was evident as seen by discontinuities and gaps in the trailing wing margins (check out the blog from July 15, 2015 = July Update: field identification of adult Chimney Swifts in the summer range). 9:59:39 entry; 1 of 7 swifts seen in area ~10:00 entry; 2 IN Feeding rate ~4 X hour which is good but less than seen on Thursday. This shows variability between days.”

Winnipeg

Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry

Quite a bit of monitoring in the Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry neighbourhood took place this week! Chantel monitored the Ludlow Court Apartments (a 2026 Priority Site) on the evening of July 4^th. Although she spotted a swift flying in the area, no direct interaction with the site was observed.

On July 5^th, John conducted a daytime watch of both chimneys at River Manor Apartments. At the Visible Chimney, no entries or exits were seen. At the Invisible Chimney, a possible entry and exit were noted. Since the chimney is – as the name suggests – invisible from the viewing location, these events couldn’t be confirmed with 100% certainty. However, John did describe the swift’s low flight as a possible indication of chimney use.

Program Assistants Brooke and Gibson spent time monitoring Priority Sites in the area during the day, both as a duo and individually. As a pair, they monitored four sites on July 7^th. Beginning at the Mall-Plaza Apartments, they accounted for eight swifts total, but none were seen using the chimney. They then headed to Lincoln Towers Apartments. Excitingly, they were able to confirm use of this chimney and cross it off the Priority List! Two entries and a single exit were made. Their next Priority Site – Redboine Apartments – was also a success: the first exit was seen at 12:05 PM (…they likely missed the initial entry), followed by an entry/exit interval at 12:36/12:38 PM. Seems like an incubation switch-off! Lastly, at the House of Hesed, no use of the chimney was observed, although five swifts were flying in the area.

On July 8^th, Brooke solo-monitored four Priority Sites. At Ludlow Court Apartments, neither chimney procured any swift activity, and none were seen in the area. The swifts don’t seem to be using the chimney at the Royal Oak Court Apartments either, though four were seen flying over the building. Moxam Court produced hopeful results, with a sneaky exit observed. Though no other direct use of the chimney was seen, frequent pass-bys and fake-outs were noted. Brooke then ended her day at Children’s Education Funds Inc., where no swift activity was observed.

Gibson’s solo day first brought him to Fontana where no swifts made entries or exits, but the presence of four swifts in the area was recorded. Similar results were captured at an apartment on Scott St., with no chimney use seen but a maximum of five swifts accounted for. However, two exits were made 13 minutes apart at The Rosemount! Gibson noted that these exits were quiet and sneaky. It’s curious that two exits occurred back-to-back – but perhaps there’s a helper inside if incubation is underway. Hooray for another confirmed Priority Site! Lastly, at The Biltmore, no swifts were seen in the area, but Gibson did hear vocalizations.

Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood

Graham observed daytime swift activity at CMU on July 8^th. An exit was seen at 10:32 AM, followed by an entry/exit interval at 11:16/11:19 AM. A sure sign of an incubation exchange between the pair!

One of the most exciting events of the week was a new site discovery on July 10^th! Following a tip submitted to Steering Committee Chair Tim, Program Coordinator Mackenzie conducted a daytime watch at a private residence in the neighbourhood. A total of five swifts were observed near the site. Mackenzie witnessed a confident entry made by a single swift, confirming use of this once undiscovered site!

East Kildonan/Elmwood

Alexia and Erin watched the MMF Tower during the day, on July 9^th. A likely exchange happened at 11:16/11:17 AM, when two swifts entered and one exited. Either one of the swifts changed their mind immediately following the entry, or there may be up to three swifts using the tower for nesting!

St. James

Breanne did an evening watch at the Assiniboine Hotel (“Bev. Room” chimney) on July 9^th. During the roosting hour, the order of events was two entries, two exits, and two entries. It looks like these swifts were indecisive about when to hunker down for the evening, but in the end, both settled inside to roost. Breanne reported that this was her “…happiest day of swift watching this summer”, which was very heartwarming to read! We definitely share in her excitement of being able to confirm this Priority Site. Thank you, Breanne!

… And with that, another recap comes to a close! Thank you so much to the volunteers who monitored this week. Of course, we encourage everybody to review the updated Priority Site list and pick one to monitor – we would greatly appreciate your assistance! As well, our next MCSI Blitz will be taking place on Wednesday, August 12^th. Plenty of time for you to have a look at the list and see which sites you might be able to visit!

Catch you next week 😊

– Brooke (Program Assistant)

We’re back with another weekly swift update! It was another wet week across the province, with torrential rain and flooding in much of the western half of Manitoba. Despite this, the Chimney Swifts are carrying on, with lots of suspected nesting activity including sneaky daytime incubation switch offs, and even our first report of swifts feeding brooded young!

Before we get into the exciting updates, I want to remind everyone that the next MCSI Monitoring Blitz is next week on July 15! We’re hoping to get as many chimneys as possible monitored on that day. Check out your regular site or choose a new one from the updated Priority Site list!

St. Adolphe

Following what Barb has dubbed “Monsoon Monday” (referring to the storms on June 29), she was out in St. Adolphe to see how the swifts fared. Here’s her report from July 1:

“Good news. Many sightings of single to small groups of 4-5 swifts were made. The birds were feeding low over tree tops and the cemetery area but pairs were seen doing short V flashes while they hunted for bugs.

The Swift Deities were with me again…I caught sight of an entry at the Church at 10:05:06. An exit followed at 10:05:56. Oh! That’s a quick turnaround interval. Was that an incubation exchange? Another entry to the Church was made at 10:09:42 – a nice slow flare drop close to the rim by a single bird arriving from the east. Hmm, that was about 6 minutes between-visits which usually isn’t associated with the same bird exiting and returning quickly. Was a helper indicated?

At 10:25:58, 2 swifts were feeding together, low around the Rectory. One headed over to the Brodeur Bros./Daycare chimney and dropped in. It was a masterful entry to adjust to gusting wind. The partner continued to feed. Good news = the breeding attempt continues.

At 10:36:20, I caught sight of a swift likely making an exit from the NE Club Amical. The bird was at the short descending arc after leaving the chimney then picked up elevation and headed NNW. That was a gift observation; focal point monitoring will be needed closer to the Club to catch the action at both chimneys.

Back to events at the Church…an entry was made by a single swift approaching from the N at 10:42:35. OK, that was the third entry in 40 min. Definitely something was going on inside that chimney and I think that something was feeding brooded youngsters! From multi-year data collected in St Adolphe, July 1st is the nominal hatching date for pairs of swifts that get on nest building tasks by June 3-4.”

Barb retuned the next day and added the St Adolphe Tower to the list of active sites following Monsoon Monday. She saw one entry into the Tower during her 30 minute session, and noted that the rain has brought lots of bugs for the swifts to feast on. Up to 9 swifts were observed constantly feeding throughout the session.

On July 3, Barb spent 45 minutes watching the two chimneys at Club Amical, observing a classic incubation exchange in both chimneys. Seems like all breeding attempts in St Adolphe are still progressing. We’re looking forward to hearing if any more sites have hatched in the coming days!

Carman

Rhonda was back at the Carman Memorial Hall on June 28 for an afternoon monitoring session. She observed an entry and an exit one minute later – likely an incubation exchange. Nesting is still underway in Carman!

St. Andrews

In St. Andrews, Gerald watched all three sites at Lower Fort Garry during the evening of June 28. It was another week of no entries at the red-shingled building, but nesting appears to be ongoing in both the Furloft and Men’s House chimneys. The Furloft was a busy place, with an entry, an exit and another entry before the start of the roosting hour. During the roosting hour, two swifts left the chimney, then returned just before sunset. Strange that a pair would leave together, but perhaps there was a third swift inside the chimney helping to incubate eggs? Time will tell! At the Men’s House, there was an entry/exit (perhaps an exchange) at the start of the roosting hour, then another entry just before sunset.

At the St Andrews Lock and Dam, Gerald noted no activity at the south chimney on July 2 but had quite a bit of action at the north chimney. Up to 4 swifts flew overhead, and there was an entry/exit at 8:35/8:39 pm and another one at 9:21/9:23 pm. Seems like exchanges to me. Another two entries were recorded into the north chimney just before sunset.

Selkirk

As usual, it was a busy week in Selkirk with the Selkirk Birdwatchers splitting up to cover all the SMHC sites and the Merchants Hotel. On June 30, Winona watched the Merchants Hotel and saw one swift enter the chimney 15 minutes after sunset.

Nia and Linda were at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre on July 1 and watched both the Stack Replacement Tower (T4) and the Yellow Brick chimney. At T4, there were frequent entries and exits after sunset, with a total of 5 swifts in the tower at the end of the session. Nia and Linda weren’t sure what’s happening in this tower – could there be multiple nests? Or are the swifts just checking out the chimney before deciding where to roost? We’ll be keeping our eye on this one! At the Yellow Brick chimney, 3 swifts entered the chimney to roost for the night.

July 2 was a busy night at SMHC. Fred and Nettie were stationed at Tower 1 (Taller West Tower) where they saw 3 exits and 2 entries prior to the roosting hour, followed by 2 more entries and an exit during the roosting hour. That left 2 swifts in the chimney by the end of their watch. With the entries and exits spaced 15-20 minutes apart, I’m not entirely sure what those swifts were up to!

Lisa and Monty were at Tower 2 (Smaller East Tower), and had a pre-roosting entry and exit that was likely an incubation switch off, then an exit and two entries during the roosting hour. Two swifts were in the chimney at the end of the session.

At the Infirmary-attached tower (Tower 3), Dennis and Patti had a relatively quiet evening. They observed an exit half an hour before sunset, an entry 7 minutes later, then didn’t see another entry for 45 minutes, when a lone swift entered just after 10 pm. They stuck around for another 10 minutes before calling it a night. Patti also kept an eye on the SMHC Infirmary chimney, where 6 swifts entered to roost for the night.

Winnipeg

St. Vital

Marilyn and Pam watched the chimney on the St Mary’s Rd United Church on the evening of our last MCSI Blitz (June 17). They saw one swift enter the chimney during the roosting hour.

Blair was in St Vital on June 30, watching the Riverside Billiards chimney. Blair recorded a single swift entering the chimney to roost, though he noted that the monitoring session was cut short by heavy rain.

St. Boniface

Blair has been busy checking out chimneys all over St. B. On June 26 he was at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, recording a single entry during the roosting hour. Blair noted that there was a Merlin in the area during much of the monitoring session, and the brave swift entered even with the Merlin in sight!

The next evening, Blair monitored Euro-Craft Office Furnishings and the Firehall on Marion St. Both sites had entries during the roosting hour: two swifts into Euro-Craft and one into the Firehall.

Blair rounded out his St. Boniface tour with a session at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain on July 2. He recorded an exit shortly after he began monitoring, then an entry about 20 minutes later, with one swift spending the night at CCFM.

Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood

Graham completed a daytime monitoring session at CMU on July 2. Shortly into his monitoring session, he observed a single swift enter the chimney at 11:15 AM, followed by a single exit two minutes later. Such a quick entry/exit interval points to an incubation changeover between birds – nesting seems to be well underway, and it will be interesting to see what the swifts show us in the coming weeks!

Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry

On June 30, Program Assistants Brooke and Gibson conducted daytime monitoring sessions in this neighbourhood as part of their ongoing quest to visit Priority Sites throughout the city. Both chimneys at Brink’s and the one at Robertson College were able to be monitored simultaneously, though none produced any activity. That’s not to say that there was a complete absence of swifts, though: three were seen repeatedly passing over the sites. The presence of a bald eagle soaring overhead may have deterred them from venturing too close – it surely agitated other birds in the area! They then visited Newcastle Apts. and in a similar fate, no swifts made use of the chimneys. None at all were seen or heard throughout their monitoring session. Alas, no Priority Sites could be confirmed.

As well, Breanne did an evening watch at the Maryland Foodfare on July 2. She observed consistent aerial activity from four swifts throughout the session, but none decided to make any entries or exits at the site. She continued monitoring for over 20 minutes following the last sign of swifts.

East Kildonan/Elmwood

The final swift update to reaccount comes from Phoenix and Taylor on July 2. The team monitored the MMF Tower during the day but did not observe any entries or exits. However, cameras within the tower do confirm that it’s being used! Perhaps the weather conditions – light rain and cloud cover – influenced the swifts to stay inside.

That’s all for this week’s swift news! Things are looking exciting across the province, and we’ve really been enjoying sharing these updates on a consistent basis. One final reminder about our next Chimney Swift Blitz on July 15^th – the more eyes out there, the better!

–  Mackenzie (Program Coordinator) & Brooke (Program Assistant)

With the official onset of astronomical summer with the solstice on June 21^st, this past week saw mild and often rainy weather across the province. Before getting into the recap, we want to extend good thoughts to our friends and volunteers in the Parkland region, who are dealing with extensive flooding after all this rain. We appreciate everything you do, and we are sending well wishes to everyone affected by the floods. Stay safe out there!

Today’s recap will summarize the results of monitoring from June 20^th through the 26^th – but first, some info about changes in the availability of Chimney Swift habitat…

Habitat loss

Three chimneys were found to be unusable this week, presenting a loss in potential Chimney Swift roosting and/or nesting habitat. The Immigrant Centre Building chimney (at 100 Adelaide St.) was found to have been at least partially boarded over while two others, at 515 Waterfront Dr. (Vita Foam) and 527 Waterfront Dr. (Restmore Bedding), were demolished.

The chimneys listed above were identified as priority monitoring sites for 2026 because of a lack of activity in the last three summers (2023–2025). However, roosting may have been missed at these sites and these chimneys could have provided important nesting habitat in the future. As noted in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Chimney Swift Q&A web page, “If you are the owner of a structure used by Chimney Swifts… the best way to help is to keep the structure in its current state for as long as possible… [and] to not demolish the chimney…”

If you own a chimney or structure that you suspect is being used by Chimney Swifts, please submit a report on our website or email mbchimneyswift@gmail.com to let us know! If your chimney is being used by Chimney Swifts and is in need of repairs, we may be able to help. MCSI has funding available to help cover the cost of chimney repairs. Contact us to find out if your repair qualifies for funding!

Prior monitoring

Before getting into last week’s data, here is a brief summary of monitoring reports from late May–early June that we received after our last recap:

Carman

Rhonda recorded potential nesting activity with a pair of swifts entering and exiting the Carman Memorial Hall chimney on the morning of June 14^th and a single swift entering and exiting during the early evening of the 17^th.

Dauphin

Ken observed the chimneys at Scott’s Hardware and Hong Kong Café during the daytime on June 17^th, recording two entries and one exit at each chimney. The Harrison Computer Services (Malcolm Block Building) chimney was not used during roosting hour on June 18^th and, similarly, no swifts were seen during a daytime monitoring session at the Watson’s Art Center on the 19^th.

La Broquerie

Alyssa watched the large and small chimneys at the St. Joachim RC Church during roosting hour on May 28^th, June 1^st, and June 15^th. Chimney Swifts were highly active at this site, with 9–10 recorded on each night! On May 28^th, four and two swifts roosted in the large and small chimneys, respectively. On June 1^st, these numbers increased to five swifts roosting in the large chimney and four in the small chimney. Most recently, on the 15^th, four and three swifts roosted in the large and small chimneys, respectively.

Selkirk

Despite noisy work on the building’s rooftop during the day, Winona recorded three Chimney Swifts in flight near the chimney at 357 Main St. During roosting hour on June 18^th. One swift entered the chimney to roost.

St. Andrews

At the St. Andrews lock and dam powerhouse, Gerald recorded a pair of swifts roosting in both the South and North chimneys on June 18^th.

Winnipeg

Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood

Tai and Elijah observed a pair of swifts entering the chimney at Canadian Mennonite University during roosting hour on June 11^th and remaining there to roost. With an owl in the area and occasional heavy rain, this seemed like a smart choice for the swifts.

East Kildonan/Elmwood

Josh and Marci recorded a pair of Chimney Swifts roosting in the MMF Artificial Tower (2025-T9) at 385 Henderson on June 11^th. On the 18^th, Connor, Riley, and Phoenix recorded a pair repeatedly entering and exiting the tower, signifying nesting activity and likely parents taking turns incubating a clutch of eggs!

Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry

Breanne saw two swifts in flight but recorded no entries to the chimney at Foodfare on Maryland St. during roosting hour on June 11^th as rain starting shortly after 9:00 PM put an end to swift activity in the area.

St. Norbert

Finally, Blaire watched the St. Norbert Behavioural Health Foundation’s chimney during roosting hour on June 17^th and recorded four swifts entering the chimney to roost.

Saturday, June 20^th, to Friday, June 26^th

La Salle

Lorne recorded seven Chimney Swifts circling the church steeple just after sunset. Could they be roosting in one of the church’s chimneys? This has yet to be confirmed!

Selkirk

There was plenty of Chimney Swift roosting action in Selkirk this past week!

Winona recorded three Chimney Swifts at the Main Street apartments on June 21^st and, while multiple entries to the south chimney were recorded, one swift remained in the chimney at the end of roosting hour.

On June 22^nd, Patti observed the East infirmary chimney and the infirmary-attached tower (2021-T03) at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre. After many entries and exits, Patti reported five swifts roosting in the East chimney, and a pair settled into the tower at the end of roosting hour.

Nia and Linda watched the stack replacement tower (2021-T04) and the powerhouse/“yellow brick” chimney at the SMHC during roosting hour on June 24^th and observed four and three roosting in the tower and chimney, respectively.

Fred and Nettie watched the taller tower West (T2021-01) at the SMHC on June 25^th, recording a pair of Chimney Swifts roosting in the tower.

St. Adolphe

Exciting news out of St. Adolphe – Barb is BACK! Some of you may have noticed that all our St. Adolphe monitoring so far this season has been done by Program Assistants Gibson and Brooke, and Steering Committee member Ron. This is because the day after she spotted her first swift in St Adolphe on May 11, things took an unfortunate turn for Barb. While walking Qilliaq the dog on May 12, she spotted several bluebirds in a nearby cottonwood. Next thing she knew, she had stepped in the wrong spot and was sliding down the gravel shoulder of the road, resulting in a broken fibula.

To quote Rob, “Don’t you think you’re carrying this 20^th anniversary a bit too far?” Some may recall that Barb and Rob first got involved with MCSI when Barb was at home with a broken arm and heard a callout for swift volunteers on CBC Radio. Luckily, a few weeks in a walking boot has done the trick, and Barb has graduated to an ankle brace, meaning she’s finally able to drive down to St. A to monitor!! We’re very grateful for her speedy recovery and want to give a huge thank you to Gibson, Brooke and Ron for stepping in to monitor the St. A sites in her absence. We’re glad to have you back, Barb!

On June 25^th, Barb recorded two Chimney Swifts entering the St. Adolphe Cemetery tower during the day, strongly suggesting a breeding attempt! Additionally, several swifts were seen performing V-displays and collecting nesting materials from a dead willow trunk. On the morning of the 26^th, a total of nine swifts were seen in the air. One pair of swifts approached the Brodeur Bros./Daycare chimney and one entered, adding further evidence to a potential breeding attempt at this site.

St. Andrews

Gerald held it down in St. Andrews this past week, watching five chimneys in total! On June 22^nd, Gerald observed three chimneys during roosting hour, counting four swifts in total at the site. A pair entered both the Lower Fort Garry furloft (Southeast building) and men’s house chimneys to roost, while no entries were recorded at the red shingled building.

Gerald also watched the north and south chimneys at the St. Andrews lock and dam powerhouse during roosting hour on June 24^th, recording a pair entering each chimney to roost.

Winnipeg

East Kildonan/Elmwood

Garry observed the chimney at 712 Watt St. (formerly Pro-Tac Roofing) on the morning of June 21^st. Three Chimney Swifts were recorded and, with multiple entries and exits seen, Garry suspects a pair were switching off egg-sitting duties!

During the morning of June 25^th, Brookelynn and Jessica monitored the MMF Artificial Tower (2025-T9). A pair of swifts was seen entering and exiting the tower, taking turns visiting their nest!

Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood

Michelle and Graham watched the chimney at the Canadian Mennonite University on the evening of June 22^nd. A single pair of swifts was seen entering the chimney to roost for the night.

The Assiniboine Park Tower (2018-T8) sees use by nesting Chimney Swifts once again! Thanks to our friends at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, we are able to share a rare glimpse at Chimney Swift activity in the tower during incubation, where up to three adults have been captured (presumably) sitting on eggs and resting near the nest.

Point Douglas

Program Assistants Brooke and Gibson ventured into the Exchange District on June 24^th and 25^th to visit priority monitoring sites during the daytime.

On the 24^th, Brooke and Gibson watched the chimneys at the Children’s House (150 Pacific Ave.) and 80 Lombard Ave. (formerly the Nutty Club Food Club). Five Chimney Swifts were seen in flight at the Children’s House while no swifts were seen or heard at 80 Lombard Ave., where the observation period was cut short ~20 min early due to heavy rain. No entries or exits were recorded at either chimney.

On the 25^th, they watched five chimneys in the West Exchange. First, no swifts were seen at the Old Market Autonomous Zone chimney. At the Immigrant Centre Building, five Chimney Swifts were recorded flying nearby, and one pair was seen performing courtship behaviour (a “V-display”), but none entered the chimney (which, as mentioned above, appeared to have been at least partially boarded over). At Nejmark Architects, a trio of swifts were seen in the air but did not interact with the chimney. Later in the afternoon, no swifts were seen at the Peck Building; however, minutes after Brooke pointed out a nearby chimney that looked like good swift habitat, a pair was spotted flying into it! This turned out to be the chimney at Jose and Markham (73 Princess St.) which previously had no recorded use! A very exciting turn of events. Finally, no Chimney Swifts were seen at the Gregg Building.

Overall

Thanks as always to all of the volunteers who continue to collect valuable data on Chimney Swift activity across Manitoba. Don’t forget: our monitoring blitzes continue on July 15^th and August 12^th! Check out our updated Priority List for monitoring to see where we still need to confirm roosting or nesting this year and make sure to follow us on our socials for more updates on all things Chimney Swift!

• Gibson (Program Assistant) & Mackenzie (Program Coordinator)

Time for another Chimney Swift monitoring summary! This post will review all of the data collected between June 13th and 19th. Luckily, the tumultuous weather seemed to have ceased, with temperatures ranging from the low-teens to low-twenties during monitoring sessions. Good news for the swifts, who are likely beginning nest construction!

We also held our first MCSI Chimney Swift Blitz on June 17th. As you’ll see, we were able to collect data from multiple towns across Manitoba, which helps to paint an overall picture of swift activity in the province! A big thank you to those who volunteered their time, and exciting news for those who would still like to participate: we will be holding two more blitzes on July 15th and August 12th. If you’d like to complete either a daytime or roosting hour watch on these dates, we would be extremely appreciative! But as always, we are happy to receive data from any monitoring sessions you’re able to conduct. 

Let’s jump into the summary:

La Broquerie

On June 17th – the first MCSI Blitz – Frank watched both chimneys at St. Joachim Church. He noted that trios were flying around the site, with six swifts accounted for altogether. At each chimney, there was one entry just before roosting hour and two during the roosting hour, respectively. Thus, three swifts took shelter in each chimney, accounting for all six that Frank observed. 

Selkirk

On June 13th, Nia and Linda teamed up to monitor the Stack Replacement Tower (T04) and the Powerhouse/“Yellow Brick” Chimney at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC), beginning shortly before roosting hour. At T04, they observedfive swifts enter to roost for the evening. The Yellow Brick Chimney also showed activity, with three swifts having settled in to roost after making multiple entries and exits. 

More monitoring took place a few days later, on June 16th. Two teams were stationed at SMHC – Dennis, Patti & Brittany, and Lisa & Monty. The former kept watch of both the Infirmary Chimney (East) and the Infirmary-attached Tower (T03), while the latter watched the Smaller Tower (East; T02). At the Infirmary Chimney, seven entries and two exits resulted in five swifts settling in to roost overnight. T03 was also occupied by a group of three swifts who spent the night inside. At T02, an exit was observed just prior to roosting hour (although no entry was recorded), and the evening concluded with two roosting swifts. Lisa and Monty also noted that they could still hear Chimney Swift vocalizations upon the conclusion of their monitoring period. 

Lastly, Winona also monitored on the evening of June 16th. At the Merchants Hotel, a pair of swifts were active throughout the monitoring period. During the daytime (albeit very close to roosting hour), both an entry and exit were noted – followed by another entry/exit set before the two swifts went into the chimney to roost. Hopefully, nesting activity is underway!

St. Adolphe

Program Assistant Gibson headed out to monitor the chimney at Brodeur Bros. on the evening of the MCSI Blitz. After no use of the chimney was observed after multiple daytime monitoring sessions, Barb advised that a roosting hour session may produce more activity. The outcome was two swifts entering the chimney to roost! This was an incredibly exciting event that Gibson witnessed: because the Brodeur Bros. chimney had been outfitted with a rain shield in May of this year, roosting activity confirms that swifts can quickly adapt to using a modified habitat. Congratulations to Gibson for witnessingthis historic event, and a big thank you to Barb for her collaboration and expertise! 

The new rain shield on the Brodeur Bros./Daycare chimney in St. Adolphe. Photo by Barb.

St. Andrews

Gerald monitored the Red Shingled Building, the Furloft, and the Men’s House at Lower Fort Garry on the evening of June 14th. Across the three sites, a maximum of six swifts were seen. The Red Shingled Building saw three post-sunset entries, but a single swift changed their mind and exited at 10:00 PM. It was a relatively quiet evening at the Furloft, with no activity noted until two roosting hour entries were made. Finally, at the Men’s House, Gerald observed a confirmed entry and possible exit just before the roosting hour. Three swifts then entered the chimney during roosting hour, with none exiting. 

St. Jean Baptiste

Luc also contributed to our Chimney Swift Blitz with a session at Paroisse Saint-Jean-Baptiste on June 17th. He observed one ‘daytime’ entry (just two minutes before the start of roosting hour), followed by 10 roosting hour entries. None of the swifts reemerged after entering the chimney, with a total of 11 spending the night inside. This is officially the largest roosting site ofthe recap!

Winnipeg

Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood

A total of four sites were visited in this neighbourhood during the MCSI Blitz. 

Brooke completed two daytime monitoring sessions at two private residences – both of which were Priority Sites. Neither site exhibited any swift activity. Although not directly at the sites, she did see and hear swifts within the surrounding areas of both homes. 

That evening, Jo and Betsy kept watch of the Assiniboine Park Tower (T8). A trio was seen flying near the tower during roosting hour. Right around sunset, the first entry was made by a single swift, followed by a second shortly after. No other activity was reported after the pair had entered the tower to roost. 

Finally, Tyler, Catherine and Graham monitored the Canadian Mennonite University chimney. The team observed a total of two swifts, with both entering the chimney right around sunset to hunker down for the evening. 

Daniel McIntyre

On June 16th, a daytime monitoring session was conducted by Program Assistants Brooke and Gibson at the John Howard Society. As a Priority Site, they were hoping to get a glimpse of swifts using the chimney – but sadly, to no avail. No activity was reported within the vicinity of the chimney, apart from a Rock Pigeon who seemed very fond of perching on its rim. The only sign of swifts was a pair seen flying far in the distance, clearly heading elsewhere. 

Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry

Three Priority Sites were monitored by Brooke and Gibson in this neighborhood. On June 16th at a private residence, there was no lack of swift activity… but just none at the actual chimney. They counted five swifts in the general area. Although no entries or exits were observed, they did witness the swifts make frequent passes beside (and even through!) one particular tree. Perhaps they could have been collecting nesting material to bring back to a site nearby?

Moreover – and not saving the best for last – Brooke and Gibson also headed to an apartment building on Broadway. Activity was seen straight away, with fly-bys from five swifts occurring frequently. A much-celebrated first entry was made, followed by a second entry 12 minutes later. After the pair spent a little time together inside, they re-emerged one after the other. The two swifts made another set of back-to-back entries shortly after – and once again spent a few minutes inside before exiting together. This was a very exciting confirmation of activity at this Priority Site! 

The following day, on June 17th (MCSI Blitz), Gibson monitored the chimney at King George Court. No Chimney Swift activity was observed. 

River Heights/Fort Garry

Similarly, Brooke and Gibson split up to conduct daytime monitoring of five Priority Sites on theMCSI Blitz day. 

Brooke’s first stop was at River Heights Apartments. The first obstacle was not being able to find a suitable vantage point due to heavy construction in the area, and significant tree coverage. Once she did manage to get set up, it became apparent that there weren’t any swifts in the area. She concluded the session early due to a total lack of activity. Just next door, the second stop – Uptown Lofts – sadly produced the exact same results. 

Nearby, Gibson began the morning at a private residence. He observed a pair in the area but didn’t see any use of the chimney. At his next stop – also a private residence – no swifts were seen interacting with the chimney, as it appeared to have been capped. His final stop of the day was Milan Apartments, and lo and behold… there were swifts! Gibson counted a total of five in the area, with two single entries resulting in a pair inside the chimney together. They did not make an exit prior to the conclusion of his monitoring session. Hooray for another confirmed use of a Priority Site!

St. Boniface

Blair visited Springs Christian Academy for a roosting hour watch on June 13th. Over the course of the monitoring period, two late-daytime entries were recorded, followed by two roosting hour exits. A few minutes after sunset, a pair flew above the building, and one broke away to make a final entry to roost – the second swift flew away and did not return prior to the conclusion of monitoring, resulting in a single swift inside. 

… That brings this recap to a close! To wrap up, we’d like to extend another huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers who make this all possible. As the summer progresses, we’re hoping to confirm use of more Priority Sites, observe nesting activity, and see what else the swifts have in store for us. If you’d like to get involved in any capacity, drop a line to Mackenzie at mbchimneyswift@gmail.com. We’ll continue to share updates on a frequent basis – and don’t forget to keep tabs on the updated Priority Site list as we continue to visit them! Last but not least, please follow us on Instagram: @mbchimneyswift ☺︎

Yours in birding, 

Brooke (Program Assistant)

 

 

We are back with a summary of the reports we’ve received from Wednesday, June 3^rd, to today, Friday, June 12^th. What a wild spring! Much of Manitoba has seen warm and stormy weather in June; over the last ten days, volunteers reported temperatures ranging from 18–23°C at the start of roosting hour chimney watches.

Since their arrival in Manitoba, Chimney Swifts have had to endure dust storms, thunder and lightning, hail, and even tornados. They are tough birds! Fun fact (from Audubon Magazine): because Chimney Swifts cannot perch like most other birds, they can only drink from the surface of a water column by swooping past while in flight. Maybe the swifts are enjoying the rain as it brings the water to them!

Once again, a reminder that the fun is far from over now that the National Roost Monitoring Program has come to a close. Our first MSCI Chimney Swift Blitz is next Wednesday, June 17^th, followed by additional blitzes on July 15^th and August 12^th! Our goal during these monthly blitzes is to monitor as many chimneys and towers as possible for nesting activity on these days, particularly at Priority Sites where swifts have not been seen in the last few years. Daytime and roosting hour watches will both provide welcome information. Not free on those days or want to monitor more? We’re happy to receive any observations in addition to Blitzes!

Prior monitoring

A handful of reports have come in after we shared our recap of NRMP nights 3 and 4. Please submit your NRMP night data sheets if you have any remaining!

Winnipeg

North Kildonan

Rudolf observed the Radmon House, Linlee Apartments, and Curtis Hotel chimneys on the evenings of May 26^th and 28^th. No swifts were seen on the 26^th and, while Rudolf reported five Chimney Swifts performing fly-bys at the sites, none entered any of the three chimneys.

Tuesday, June 2^nd, to Friday, June 12^th

Carman

Rhonda watched the Carman Memorial Hall during roosting hour on Saturday, June 6^th, and recorded a single Chimney Swift entering the chimney at the site.

Portage la Prairie

Jana watched the small chimney on the Portage Corrections Centre during roosting hour on June 3^rd and saw nine Chimney Swifts near the site. Four swifts resided in the chimney at the end of roosting hour.

On Wednesday, June 10^th, Jana observed the short (South) and tall (North) chimneys at Trinity United Church. Jana recorded eight swifts between the two sites; one swift remained in the short chimney at the end of roosting hour, while one swift entered the tall chimney but exited it before the end of watch.

Selkirk

A number of chimneys and towers in Selkirk were observed during roosting hour on Monday, June 8^th:

At the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, Dennis and Patti watched the Infirmary chimney (East) and the Infirmary-attached tower (T03). They counted ten swifts between the two sites, five of which had tucked away in the chimney at the end of roosting hour, and a pair roosted in the tower. Fred and Nettie observed the Taller Tower (West; T01), counting two swifts which entered the chimney to roost for the night. Lisa and Monty counted nine swifts flying near the Smaller tower (East; T02), three of which remained in the chimney at the end of watch.

Winona observed the apartments at 367 Main St. and saw five swifts at the site, but only one entered the chimney.

St. Adolphe

Program Assistants Brooke and Gibson returned to St. Adolphe for daytime monitoring on Friday, June 12^th. A maximum of seven Chimney Swifts were seen in town, frequently flying in pairs or trios and performing V-displays. Gibson and Brooke recorded two Chimney Swifts entering both the St. Adolphe RC Church and the Club Amical (NE) chimneys. Despite some very close fly-bys and fake-out dives, they saw zero entries to the St. Adolphe cemetery tower (T3), the Brodeur Bros. and Club Amical (SE) chimneys, or a private residence on Main St.

St. Andrews

Gerald watched the North Chimney at the St Andrews Lock and Dam Powerhouse on June 5^th. Two swifts were counted at the site, both of which entered the chimney and remained there until the end of watch.

Gerald also watched the Lower Fort Garry Furloft, Men’s House, and Red shingled building chimneys during roosting hour on Monday, June 8^th. Eight Chimney Swifts were seen in the area, with three entering the Men’s House and Red shingled building chimneys, and two entering the Furloft chimney.

Winnipeg

East Kildonan/Elmwood

Josh and Marci monitored the MMF Artificial Tower at 385 Henderson Hwy during roosting hour on Thursday, June 4^th. They counted four swifts at the site, three of which entered the tower to roost.

Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry

Breanne monitored the chimney on the apartment building at 39 Balmoral St. (a 2026 Priority Site!) during roosting hour on Thursday, June 4^th. Breanne recorded five Chimney Swifts at the site and one swift remaining in the chimney at the end of roosting hour, crossing this site off our priority list!

River Heights/Fort Garry

Steering Committee Chair Tim noted a Chimney Swift exiting a chimney on the Grant Wilton Apartment building during his commute home on Friday, June 5^th.

On Saturday, June 6^th, Tim also spotted a pair of swifts flying above the Dollarama at 1295 Pembina Hwy and on Sunday, June 7^th, saw six swifts in the sky near 1181 Pembina Hwy; both of these sites are priority monitoring sites for 2026 as roosting/nesting have not been confirmed since 2023.

Finally, Tim spotted a Chimney Swift entering a chimney with a broken pest cage on Pembina Hwy. He will confirm the address of the chimney, but that is our second new site of 2026!

St. Vital

On June 8^th, Pam and Sylvia saw three Chimney Swifts at the St. Mary’s Road United Church. Two swifts entered the chimney to roost. Pam returned to the church with Marilyn on June 10^th and the two reported only one swift at the site and entering the chimney during roosting hour.

Overall

Another big thanks to everyone who has volunteered so far! We are now on the lookout for Chimney Swift nesting activity – keep an eye out for future updates and check our updated Priority List for monitoring to see where we are still hoping to confirm nesting or roosting!

• Gibson, Program Assistant

Earlier this week marked the end of the National Roost Monitoring Program for Chimney Swifts! Nights 3 and 4 of the program fell on Thursday, May 28^th, and Monday, June 1^st, respectively. We have summarized what was seen across the province on these two nights and will share the results here.

Once again, we would like to thank everyone who volunteered during this year’s NRMP! Your monitoring efforts have helped us immensely to capture a snapshot of Chimney Swift migration in 2026. As a reminder, if you haven’t yet submitted your data sheets, please send them via email to mbchimneyswift@gmail.com. Don’t worry – if you missed this year’s NRMP, you can still aid in Chimney Swift monitoring by participating in our MSCI Blitzes on June 17^th, July 15^th, and August 12^th. Stay tuned for more information about these monitoring blitzes! Not free on those days or want to monitor more? We’re happy to receive any observations in addition to Blitzes!

Prior monitoring

A number of reports were submitted to us after we shared our recap of NRMP nights 1 and 2 and prior to night 3.

In Winnipeg, Christie heard the distinctive “swoosh” and chittering of swifts in the chimney in her Tuxedo home during the night of May 24^th and spotted four flying above her home on the 26^th.

On May 26^th, Jana was on a dog walk in Portage la Prairie and spotted a pair of swifts entering a chimney that had not previously been monitored, marking our first new site identified in 2026!

On May 27^th, Jana and Gordon recorded a total of eight roosting Chimney Swifts between two chimneys on the National Indigenous Residential School Museum in Portage la Prairie. Ron recorded no entries but had a busy daytime watch in St. Adolphe with ten Chimney Swifts, some of which performed V-displays (a behaviour indicating courtship) while in flight, and Purple Martins and Tree Swallows foraging in the air. Lastly, in Winnipeg, Marilyn and Pam checked a site off of our priority monitoring list, observing a pair flying above and one swift entering the chimney at the Good News Fellowship Church in St. Vital during roosting hour.

Night 3 – Thursday, May 28^th

As pointed out by Ken in Dauphin, NRMP night 3 was capital-h Hot with temperatures ranging from 27–32°C at the start of roosting hour, this less than 10 days after there was fresh snow on the ground! Despite the heat, it was a nice night for monitoring with clear skies and no rain at most sites.

Overall, volunteers monitored 24 chimneys across Manitoba on May 28^th. Chimney Swifts were present at or near 92% of monitored sites, with swifts recorded entering 79% of monitored chimneys. The maximum number of Chimney Swifts recorded in a chimney at the end of roosting hour was eight. Here are the detailed results for each community:

Dauphin

Ken, Jan, and Pat noted ten swifts circling and plentiful airborne insects for Chimney Swifts to feed on in Dauphin. Observing two chimneys, Scott’s Hardware and Hong Kong Café, the group recorded one pair of swifts entering each.

Lac du Bonnet

Jeff and Sue returned to Gran’s Bakery and Casey’s Inn, this time in hopes of catching Chimney Swift activity during sunrise at this pair of priority sites. Unfortunately, swifts were absent on this brisk 13°C morning.

Morden

Marvin recorded two Chimney Swifts in the sky near Lucky’s Chinese Restaurant during roosting hour, but neither entered the chimney there.

Otterburne

Ron observed three chimneys on Providence College’s Hanna Centre building, reporting a total of 15 Chimney Swifts at the site with 12 recorded in the chimneys at the end of roosting hour. Six swifts roosted in the Skinny SE Chimney, five in the Large SW Chimney, and one in the chimney near the bell tower.

Selkirk

Five teams watched six sites at the Selkirk Mental Hospital on night 3. Program Assistant Brooke and Tanner spotted eight Chimney Swifts near the Stack Replacement Tower (T04) but only a single swift remained in the tower at the end of roosting hour. Dennis and Patti watched two chimneys, reporting 11 swifts total at the East infirmary chimney, with five in the chimney at the end of their watch, and two swifts at the Infirmary-attached Tower (T03), both of which tucked away in the tower for the night by the end of roosting hour. Nia counted three Chimney Swifts at the Powerhouse/”Yellow Brick” chimney, one of which was in the chimney at the end of watch. Lisa and Monty observed the Smaller East Tower (T02) and reported 11 swifts in total, five in the tower at the end of roosting hour. Finally, Winona reported three swifts in total and two in the Taller West Tower (T01) at the end of watch.

St. Andrews

Gerald watched two chimneys, the Lower Fort Garry Men’s House and Furloft chimneys, counting five Chimney Swifts in total. Three and two swifts remained in the Men’s House and Furloft chimneys, respectively, at the end of roosting hour.

St. Jean Baptiste

Program Assistant Gibson noted many bugs in the air and high numbers of martins and swallows foraging above the banks of the Red River before dusk. Seven Chimney Swifts were recorded in the air near the Paroisse Catholique, of which four were present in the chimney at the end of roosting hour.

Winnipeg

Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood

Tai reported seven total swifts at the Canadian Mennonite University, with four settled into the chimney at the end of watch.

Daniel McIntyre

Nicole and Cainobserved the Fleetwood Apartments South chimney and Lothian Block Apartments, reporting a total of four swifts in the area. At the end of roosting hour, two swifts were present in the Fleetwood chimney, and the Lothian chimney was empty.

East Kildonan/Elmwood

Alexia watched the MMF Artificial Tower at 385 Henderson St. and reported two Chimney Swifts at the site, both of which entered the tower to roost for the night. Rudolf watched the chimneys at the Northdale Shopping Centre and had two fly-bys for a total of 5 swifts, but no entries or exits into any of the chimneys. 

Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry

Breanne watched Granite Gates apartment building on Balmoral Ave., where ten swifts were present, but an empty chimney remained at the end of watch. Meanwhile, Chantel and John monitored the visible and invisible towers at River Manor Apartments; 19 swifts were recorded between the two sites, with eight and four roosting in the visible and invisible chimneys, respectively, at the end of roosting hour.

St. Boniface

Program Coordinator Mackenzie watched the Kaljieb Electrics chimney, spotting five swifts. Two Chimney Swifts were settled in the chimney at the end of roosting hour.

St. Norbert

Blaire reported seeing five Chimney Swifts at the St. Norbert Behavioural Health Foundation, but only two remained in the chimney at the end of watch.

Between NRMP nights

A handful of watches were completed between nights 3 and 4.

On May 29^th, Gerald recorded two Chimney Swifts roosting in the North Chimney of the St. Andrews Lock and Dam Powerhouse. This same day, in Winnipeg, Garry reported seeing a total of three swifts, one of which remained in the chimney at the end of roosting hour, at 712 Watt St. (formerly Pro-Tac Roofing).

In St. Adolphe, Ron spotted eight swifts in the air above Brodeur Bros. during the morning and early afternoon of May 30^th. Ron did not record any Chimney Swifts entering nor exiting from the chimney during this time.

Dave  counted six Chimney Swifts above his home in Dominion City and reported that they’re back nesting in his chimney. He’s keeping an eye out for a potential second roosting site nearby.

Night 4 – Monday, June 1^st

Breezy in places and cloudy at most sites, but with no rain and more mild temperatures (ranging 23–26°C) during roosting hour, NRMP night 4 was a great night for Chimney Swift monitoring across the province.

26 chimneys were watched on June 1^st, with Chimney Swifts seen at all sites! Swifts were recorded entering and remained in 78% of chimneys at the end of roosting hour.

Dauphin

Ken, Jan, and Pat watched the chimneys at Harrison Computer Services (Malcolm Block Building) and the Watson’s Art Centre. They observed three swifts entering the Art Centre chimney, with one exiting just before the end of roosting hour, but no Chimney Swifts at Harrison Computer Services.

Otterburne

Ron observed the chimneys at Providence College again, reporting a total of 24 Chimney Swifts at the site during this “wild and crazy evening”! All 24 swifts were tucked into the chimneys by the end of roost hour, with 15 roosting in the Skinny SE Chimney, five in the Large SW Chimney, and four in the chimney near the bell tower.

Selkirk

All six chimneys at the Selkirk Mental Hospital were monitored once again! Nia and Linda recorded five and six swifts in the Powerhouse/“Yellow Brick” chimney and the stack replacement tower, respectively, at the end of roosting hour. Dennis and Patti counted three swifts in the Infirmary-attached tower and four in the Infirmary East Chimney at the end of their watch. At the Smaller East Tower (T02), Lisa and Monty counted six swifts throughout the night and, while only two were in the chimney at the end of watch, they could still hear swifts at the end of roosting hour. Fred and Nettie watched the Taller West Tower (T01) and counted two swifts in the tower by the end of their watch.

Winona also observed the apartments at 367 Main St., counting four swifts near the site but no entries to the chimney.

St. Adolphe

Barb and Rob did a short daytime watch of the Old-style tower, St. Adolphe RC Church, and Brodeur Bros. chimneys. They counted 11 Chimney Swifts in the air at the sites, noting courtship behaviour (V-displays), foraging, and several fly-bys at each chimney, but recorded zero entries.

St. Andrews

At the Lower Fort Garry Men’s House and Furloft chimneys, Garry recorded five Chimney Swifts in total with two roosting in each chimney at the end of watch.

St. Jean Baptiste

Luc observed nine swifts at the Paroisse Catholique. Six swifts were settled in the chimney at the end of roosting hour.

Winnipeg

Charleswood/Tuxedo/Westwood

Graham and Seika recorded three swifts at the at Canadian Mennonite University but no chimney entries, noting a robin perched on the chimney during parts of roosting hour.

Jo and Betsy also saw three swifts at the Assiniboine Park Tower, all of which entered the chimney to roost.

Daniel McIntyre

Nicole counted six Chimney Swifts in the air at Fleetwood Apartments and had multiple people pass by to enjoy the “vocal display”. After things calmed down, two of these swifts quietly entered the South chimney near the end of roosting hour and remained there until the end of watch.

Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry

John described “absolute chaos” at River Manor Apartments as 56 Chimney Swifts swirled in the air above the site; 53 swifts entered the visible chimney and the other three were in the invisible chimney by the end of roosting hour.

North Kildonan

Program Assistant Brooke watched all three chimneys (North, East, and South) at the McBeth House, counting a total of four swifts at the site. Only the North chimney saw any use, with two Chimney Swifts roosting at the end of watch.

St. James

At Moorgate Apartments, Program Coordinator Mackenzie observed eight swifts foraging and performing fly-bys, but no chimney entries.

St. Norbert

Program Assistant Gibson and Ryan observed five Chimney Swifts in the air near the St. Norbert Behavioural Health Foundation. At the end of roosting hour, three of those swifts remained in the building’s chimney to roost.

Other Monitoring

Program Assistants Brooke and Gibson returned to St. Adolphe on June 2^nd for daytime nesting watches. Brooke saw eight Chimney Swifts in the air but no entries to the Brodeur Bros. chimney. Gibson counted one entry to the Tower, but no use of the church’s chimney. Brooke also counted eight swifts during a watch at Club Amical and noted a maximum of three and two swifts inhabiting the NE and SE chimneys, respectively. Finally, Gibson observed four Chimney Swifts flying near and one entering the chimney of the Main Street private residence. Brooke and Gibson noted swifts gliding on strong gusts, robins and doves perching on chimneys at various times, and courtship behaviour (V-displays). Barb strongly suspects nest construction is ongoing in both chimneys at Club Amical and the private residence and is hopeful for the rest of the sites!

Jana performed a roosting hour watch at a private residence in Portage la Prairie on June 2^nd, following stormy weather (thunder and lightning!). Thankfully, the rain paused long enough for Jana to record seven swifts at the site, two of which had settled into the chimney at the end of roosting hour as the rain started up again.

Jana also watched the small chimney at the Portage Corrections Centre during roosting hour on June 3^rd and observed nine swifts, reporting four in the chimney at the end of watch.

Overall

Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers, 35 chimneys/towers were monitored across NRMP nights 1–4 with roosting confirmed at 23 of these chimneys. The three sites with the highest numbers of roosting Chimney Swifts were: Selkirk Mental Health Centre Smaller East Tower (T02) (9 swifts) on night 2, Providence College “Skinny” Chimney (15 swifts) on night 4, and the River Manor Apartments visible chimney (53 swifts) on night 4.

Another big thanks to everyone who volunteered during this year’s National Roost Monitoring Program!

Here is our updated Priority List for monitoring.

If the above link doesn’t work for you, try the following shared Dropbox link:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t6aubzujqoh9n2rz7svsz/MCSI_Priority-Sites-List_2026_DYNAMIC.xlsx?rlkey=tvmwfmeknm0iud89vsunes6ym&dl=0

• Gibson, Program Assistant

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Hello MCSI Volunteers,

The 2026 monitoring season is now well and truly underway! As many folks know, Nights 1 and 2 of the National Roost Monitoring Program recently took place on Wednesday, May 20^th and Sunday, May 24^th, respectively. Based on the data we’ve received, Nights 1 and 2 told rather different stories, but there was still Chimney Swift activity reported on both nights. Continue reading for a full monitoring recap!

We also wanted to say a big thank-you to everyone who’s participated in monitoring so far! This initiative isn’t possible without the help of our wonderful, dedicated volunteers. If you haven’t yet submitted your data sheets, please send them via email to mbchimneyswift@gmail.com at your earliest convenience. We appreciate you! If you still want to participate in NRMP monitoring, you’re luck! The last monitoring date is coming up on June 1^st.

Night 1 – Wednesday, May 20^th

Overall, the swifts certainly seemed to have strong feelings about Night 1’s conditions! During roosting hour, most sites saw temperatures in the mid-teens. However, significant cloud cover and light/occasional rainfall made conditions less than ideal. Several sites recorded no avian activity whatsoever (swifts or otherwise), and very few chimneys/towers served as roosting sites. Across the board, there also weren’t many entries and exits recorded prior to roosting. The beginning of the monitoring season tends to have a slower start at the best of times, let alone being coupled with poor weather and a lack of insects. That said, here’s the breakdown:

Dauphin

Ken reported that two teams monitored two different chimneys, but neither had activity. One observer saw birds flying in the distance, but they couldn’t be confirmed as Chimney Swifts.

Lac du Bonnet

Jeff and Sue reported no swift activity at Gran’s Bakery and Casey’s Inn. They also went above and beyond trying to scope out other potential sites in the area. A for Effort!

Morden

On May 21^st, Marvin and Evelyn monitored the chimney at Lucky’s Chinese Restaurant, but no swifts were observed.

Otterburne

Program Assistant Gibson monitored all three chimneys at Providence College and had the most productive first NRMP night in the province! Thirteen swifts were accounted for overall, with 10 roosting in the Skinny SE Chimney, two in the Large SW Chimney, and one in the chimney near the bell tower. A solid start for Otterburne!

Selkirk

At the Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC), we had four teams of monitors out. Dennis and Patti monitored the Infirmary-attached Tower (T03) and recorded one entry. They also watched the East Infirmary Chimney and observed no entries or exits. Lisa and Monty watched the Smaller East Tower (T02) and observed two swifts enter the tower to roost. Nia and Linda had their eyes on the Powerhouse Chimney and the Stack Replacement Tower (T04) – neither of which showed any signs of activity. Lastly, Fred and Nettie were stationed at the Taller West Tower (T01) but did not see any swifts.

St. Andrews

At Lower Fort Garry, Gerald kept watch of the Men’s House and Furloft chimneys. No swifts were seen in the vicinity. Later, on May 22^nd, Gerald monitored both chimneys at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam Powerhouse. There wasn’t any action at the South Chimney – but four swifts were seen near the North Chimney. After multiple entries and exits, two of them were inside at the end of the monitoring period.

Winnipeg

Overall, minimal Chimney Swift activity was observed in Winnipeg, although multiple sites were monitored. Program Coordinator Mackenzie watched the chimney at Moorgate Apartments, Program Assistant Brooke and Rob monitored all three chimneys at McBeth House (two of which being Priority Sites), and Michelle and Graham were stationed at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU). None of these sites yielded any swifts.

Blaire B. watched the site at the St. Norbert Behavioural Health Foundation and saw three swifts in total, with one roosting at the end of the monitoring period.

At the River Manor Apartments (Visible Chimney) in Osborne Village, Chantel and John observed five swifts circling overhead – but no entries or exits were recorded. A highlight of the evening was that a resident of the neighbourhood inquired about “the birds”, implying that she was aware of swift activity in the area… although she was slightly disappointed to learn that only five had been seen that evening!

Night 2 – Sunday, May 24^th

The second night of the NRMP brought significantly more activity across Manitoba! Average temperatures were in the low twenties, with varying cloud cover and a lot more insects. Swifts were confirmed at sites from Dauphin to Winnipeg, to the communities in between.

Dauphin

With the swifts having finally arrived, things were starting to look up in Dauphin… until a thunderstorm rolled in! One clever swift managed to enter the roosting chimney at the Malcolm Block just as the rain began, and three more were not far behind. Pat reported that an additional swift safely entered the Hong Kong Cafe chimney around the same time, though it was fighting the wind to get there!

Lac du Bonnet

Despite their diligence, Jeff and Sue yet again reported no swift activity while monitoring Gran’s Bakery and Casey’s Inn on May 25^th.

Selkirk

Selkirk had a strong Night 2 across multiple sites at SMHC (and beyond)!

 At T02, Brooke and Tanner observed nine swifts roosting, and a maximum of 11 swifts at the site at one point. At the end of their monitoring period, two extremely chatty swifts were still circling overhead. Fred and Nettie again monitored T01 and confirmed a maximum of three swifts inside the tower – but after a last-minute exit, only two roosting swifts remained inside by the end of their monitoring period. Dennis and Patti returned to T03 where one swift alone made six entries and exits with no recorded roosting activity. They also confirmed seven roosting swifts at the East Infirmary Chimney, with entries having continued more than 30 minutes past sunset! Nia and Linda monitored T04 and the Powerhouse Chimney, with one and three roosting swifts recorded, respectively.

Winona monitored the Merchants Hotel site, where two total entries were observed.

St. Andrews

Gerald was back out at the Lower Fort Garry site. At the Furloft, he recorded two roosting swifts and observed a maximum of seven at the site. At the Men’s House, he confirmed another two roosting swifts.

Winnipeg

Chantel and John were back at the River Manor Apartments. They observed 29 entries and no exits at the Visible Chimney, making it the largest roost thus far! And arguably even more exciting – the pair saw an additional two swifts entering the Invisible Chimney… which means we can officially cross it off the Priority List!

At Moorgate Apartments, Mackenzie confirmed four roosting swifts with six additional swifts flying over the site, for a maximum of 10. Nicole and Cain covered two sites in Wolseley: five swifts entered and roosted at Fleetwood Apartments, but no activity was seen at the Lothian Block Apartments. At the St. Norbert Behavioural Health Foundation, Blaire B. counted 15+ swifts flying overhead. Two entries and exits were observed, though none chose to roost by time the monitoring period concluded. Blair R. confirmed one roosting swift at Kaljieb Electrics in St. Boniface. Catherine, Tyler, and Graham watched the chimney at CMU and saw two entries.

Carly, Emma, and Sophie watched Trinity Baptist Church – another Priority Site – and spotted two swifts in flight nearby. None entered the chimney, so we aren’t able to cross this site off the list yet.

Lastly, between NRMP nights on May 22^nd, Breanne checked on the Maryland Foodfare site and saw one entry, resulting in one roosting swift.

Daytime Monitoring

The monitoring fun didn’t conclude with NRMP Night 2! Brooke and Gibson also spent some time in St. Adolphe on May 26^th, doing daytime monitoring at six sites. The day’s theme: “Swallows and Martins and Swifts… oh my!”. It seems that the combination of warm weather and plenty of insects resulted in a lot of aerial activity from these species. As well, they quickly realized that folks in the community are definitely “swift-aware”! While monitoring, Brooke and Gibson both received inquiries from neighbours about how many swifts they’d been able to spot that day.

During their monitoring, Brooke and Gibson were looking for signs of potential nesting activity. Despite numerous swifts flying near all the sites, there weren’t any entries or exits observed at the Cemetery Tower, the Club Amical chimneys, the Brodeur Bros./Daycare chimney, or the Main Street home. However, at just over 50 minutes into her monitoring period, Brooke saw a pair of swifts enter the St. Adolphe Church chimney! They didn’t exit before the monitoring period concluded. Hopefully, this means that nest construction is currently underway! Barb confirmed that the church is prime Chimney Swift real estate and tends to be chosen as a nesting site before the others. We’re keeping our fingers crossed!

… That brings our monitoring recap to a close! We’re looking forward to seeing what Nights 3 and 4 bring – keep an eye out for updates. Here’s the updated Priority List, reflecting our recently confirmed site:

Community	Location	Site	Confirmed by
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	583 Ellice Street	John Howard Society
Winnipeg	127 Cobourg Avenue	Gordon-King Memorial United Church
Winnipeg	222 York Ave	Brink’s Canada (west chimney)
Winnipeg	222 York Ave	Brink’s Canada (middle chimney)
Winnipeg	33 Kennedy Street	Lincoln Towers Apartment
Winnipeg	348 Assiniboine Ave	Redboine Apartments
Winnipeg	1022 Pembina Hwy	Cambridge Hotel
Winnipeg	411 Stradbrook Ave	Lancaster Apartment
Winnipeg	277 River Ave	Royal Oak Court Apartments
Winnipeg	272 Cockburn Street	King George Court
Winnipeg	118 Scott Street	Apartment (central chimney with pest cage)
Winnipeg	141 River Avenue	Ludlow Court Apartments
Winnipeg	141 River Avenue	Ludlow Court Apartments
Winnipeg	280 River Avenue	Moxam Court
Winnipeg	245 Bell Avenue	Children’s Education Funds Inc
Winnipeg	444 River Ave	Augustine United Church
Winnipeg	444 South Drive	St. John’s Ravenscourt – residence
Winnipeg	39 Balmoral Street	Apartment
Winnipeg	634 Broadway	Apartment
Winnipeg	180 Main St	Sky Bridge Americas
Winnipeg	303 Assiniboine Ave	Newcastle Apartments (south chimney)
Winnipeg	303 Assiniboine Avenue	Newcastle Apartments (north chimney)
Winnipeg	45 Edmonton Street	House of Hesed
Winnipeg	444 South Dr	St John’s Ravenscourt
Winnipeg	375 Stradbrook Avenue	The Village Apartments
Winnipeg	780 Osborne Street	Overlook Apartments
Winnipeg	415 Mulvey Avenue East	Dominion Auctions (D’s Warehouse)
Winnipeg	424 River Avenue	River Manor Apartments (invisible chimney)	John W and Chantel M – May 24
Winnipeg	549 Gertrude Ave	Trinity Baptist Church
Winnipeg	415 Stradbrook Avenue	The Wakefield
Winnipeg	395 River Ave	The Biltmore
Winnipeg	94 Roslyn Rd	Signature Homes Ltd
Winnipeg	321 Stradbrook Ave	Fontana
Winnipeg	351 River Ave	The Rosemount
Winnipeg	464 St Mary Avenue	Mall Plaza Apartments
Winnipeg	935 Main Street	Ukrainian National Federation
Winnipeg	135 Anderson Ave	St John’s Cathedral
Winnipeg	25 Valhalla Drive	Valhalla Gardens
Winnipeg	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (A) East chimney (centre)
Winnipeg	31 McBeth St	McBeth House (A) South chimney (right)
Winnipeg	1030 Brazier St	Linlee Apartments
Winnipeg	520 William Ave	Living Gospel Church (West Chimney)
Winnipeg	520 William Ave	Living Gospel Church (East Chimney)
Winnipeg	100 Adelaide Street	Immigrant Centre Building
Winnipeg	91 Albert Street	The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Winnipeg	442 William Avenue	Filcasa Housing Coop
Winnipeg	41 Princess St	Peck Building
Winnipeg	471 William Ave	Victoria Court
Winnipeg	54 Adelaide Street	Nejmark Architects
Winnipeg	52 Albert Street	Gregg Building
Winnipeg	80 Lombard Ave	Nutty Club Food Club
Winnipeg	515 Waterfront Dr	Vita Foam
Winnipeg	150 Pacific Avenue	Children’s House
Winnipeg	527 Waterfront Dr	Restmore Bedding Co Ltd
Winnipeg	465A Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	465D Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	890 McMillan Avenue	Milan Apartments
Winnipeg	394 Academy Road	Academy Uptown Lanes
Winnipeg	1295 Pembina Hwy	Dollarama
Winnipeg	1181 Pembina Hwy	Flag Shop
Winnipeg	465B Lanark St	Lanark Gardens
Winnipeg	378 Academy Rd	River Heights Apartments
Winnipeg	393 Marion St	Marion Hotel
Winnipeg	2160 Portage Ave	Stanley Park Apartments
Winnipeg	2150 Portage Ave	Thunderbird Apartments
Winnipeg	155 Traill Avenue	Theton House
Winnipeg	2415 Portage Avenue	Essex House, pest cage
Winnipeg	2235 Portage Ave	New Silver Heights Apartments
Winnipeg	1790 Portage Ave	Carillon Towers
Winnipeg	271 Hampton St	St Anne’s RC Church (east chimney)
Winnipeg	271 Hampton St	St Anne’s RC Church (north chimney)
Winnipeg	1780 Portage Ave	Marner Apartments
Winnipeg	1975 Portage Ave	Assiniboine Gordon Registration Building
Winnipeg	70 St Pierre Street	St Norbert Parish Church
Winnipeg	151 St. George Road	St. George School
Winnipeg	891 St Mary’s Rd	Good News Fellowship Church

2025 Swift Champions

Before we get too far into the 2026 Season, we still need to announce our 2025 Swift Champions! Every year, we award five Swift Champions awards to individuals or groups who go above and beyond for the Chimney Swifts in Manitoba. This year’s recipients of Swift Champion Awards were Pat Start, Ron Bazin, Marissa Berard, the Manitoba Metis Federation, and the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

Pat Start

Nominated by her fellow Dauphin monitor Ken Wainwright, Pat has been a longtime volunteer with MCSI. In 2021, Pat discovered a new site in Dauphin, following Chimney Swifts flying and calling overhead and eventually seeing them drop into the chimney of the Hong Kong Cafe on Main Street! Since then, our Dauphin volunteers, including Pat, have monitored four successful nesting attempts at the site. Pat is a core member of our volunteer base in Dauphin, and we couldn’t be happier to recognize her years of work with a Swift Champion award!

Ron Bazin

Ron’s Swift Champion Award feels long overdue, as he’s been with MCSI since the very beginning. Ron joined the MCSI Steering Committee as a founding member in 2007 and has remained a valued member of the Committee ever since. Before his retirement last year, Ron worked for Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service, where he was a member of the federal CHSW Recovery Team. Representing ECCC-CWS on the MCSI Committee, Ron kept MCSI informed of federal recovery strategies, such as the development of the Recovery Strategy for the Chimney Swift, identification of critical habitat, descriptions of Chimney Swift residences, the identification of priority sites for monitoring, and more. Although he retired from ECCC-CWS last year, Ron remains an active member of the Steering Committee and an active monitor with MCSI. Thank you Ron, for your huge contributions to Chimney Swift conservation and recovery in Manitoba. 

Manitoba Métis Federation

Up next is the Manitoba Métis Federation! The MMF and MCSI have been collaborating for several years, working to help the MMF get their own Chimney Swift monitoring program up and running. Marissa worked with MMF staff and citizens in 2024 to host a webinar and monitoring workshop to teach folks about Chimney Swifts and how we monitor them. Later that year, the MMF worked with MCSI to make plans for monitoring a newartificial tower at the former Roxy Lanes building on Henderson Highway in Winnipeg. The MMF decided to move forward withdemolishing the old building after purchasing it in 2022, and they had an artificial tower built as mitigation for the lost habitat. MMF staff closely monitored the site every week throughout 2025, and thanks to their observations we were able to confirm that the new tower was used successfully by a nesting pair! The fledglings weren’t observed by monitors, but during the end of season cleanout they found five hatched eggs! A successful first season indeed. As recognition of their diligent monitoring efforts in 2025 (and already in 2026), we’re very pleased to award the Manitoba Métis Federation with a Swift Champions Award. 

Selkirk Mental Health Centre

For many years, this site has been discussed as a potential recipient for the award – and we’vefinally done it! The Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC) is one of the most consistently active swift sites in the province, hosting four purpose-built towers and three additional chimneys. The artificial towers were constructed as a mitigation strategy in response to the demolition of a large chimney stack in 2018. Since they were built, all of the towers have seen steady nesting success, with at least one tower (but often more!) producing successful fledglings each year. Towers aside, two out of three other chimneys onsite have been consistently used for roosting, nesting, or both. Strangely, one chimney – the west chimney on the Infirmary Building – never had any activity… until one evening in 2024. On NRMP Night 2, over 50 swifts suddenly decided it would make a fantastic roosting site! Interestingly, it seems like the site has only ever been used on that one evening. Chimney Swifts are mysterious creatures, indeed. We’re thrilled to recognize SMHC with this award for their longstanding commitment to coexisting with Chimney Swifts, and we look forward to many more years of the swifts calling this site their home!

Marissa Berard

Our final 2025 Swift Champion is Marissa Berard. A familiar name to all of you, Marissa was nominated for the Swift Champion award by the Steering Committee for her time as MCSI Program Coordinator from 2022-2025. Her interest in Chimney Swifts was sparked during her time in the Resource Conservation department at Riding Mountain National Park. In this role, Marissa coordinated swift monitoring and outreach initiatives within the park. The transition over to MSCI Program Coordinator was thus a natural one, and she spent over three years growing the program and extending its reach throughout the province. While leading the MCSI, Marissa was instrumental in accomplishing a great deal for the program, and the swifts it supports. Notably, she secured a five-year grant for MCSI through the ECCC’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, ensuring a long-term, stable source of funding for the program! She also worked to cultivate meaningful partnerships with other organizations within the province, such as the Manitoba Métis Federation and the University of Manitoba Indigenous Birding Club. For these reasons, we’re happy to recognize Marissa as a 2025 Swift Champion. On behalf of everyone at MCSI, we would like to extend a very big thank-you to Marissa for all she has contributed to the program, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors!

Hello everybody,
Happy 2026 Chimney Swift monitoring season!

Yesterday evening (May 12 th ), we gathered at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at Assiniboine Park Zoo to kick off the season. What a night it was!

Staff, volunteers, and Steering Committee members came together to meet face-to-face and reflect on 20 years together as an organization. There was something truly special about being in a room full of people who have dedicated so much time and care to this fascinating (but mysterious!) species. The stories and experiences shared throughout the evening were a reminder of just how far MCSI has come.

Our Steering Committee Chair Tim Poole opened the evening with a presentation called The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative: 20 Years of Continuous Learning. Tim walked us through the history of the organization, from its beginnings in 2006 as an entirely volunteer-led initiative, to where we are today. He touched on some of the early lessons learned, including MCSI’s first-generation towers – what didn’t work, what needed tweaking, and the eventual conception of a new tower design better-suited to Manitoba’s climate.

Tim also shared Steering Committee member Lewis Cocks’ wise words about these birds: “Chimney Swifts are a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”. That’s a truly accurate description. Case in point: why did the swifts finally decide to use the first-generation St. Adolphe tower 16 years later?!

After some refreshments and plenty of great conversation, we headed outside to watch the Zoo’s second-generation tower. Before long, we spotted a scream of swifts (yes… that’s actually what a group of them is called) flying acrobatically overhead in the fading light. It’s a sight that never gets old, no matter how many seasons you’ve been monitoring with MCSI. One lucky (and attentive!) volunteer did catch a glimpse of a swift diving straight into the tower! The rest of us sadly missed it, but we know there’s plenty more where that came from as the season gets underway.

Here’s to a successful and interesting 2026 monitoring season – we’re excited to see what the swifts have in store for us this year!

• Brooke (Program Assistant)

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