BSC Holds Ontario-wide Chimney Swift “Blitz”

From the latest Bird Studies Canada newsletter:

BSC Holds Ontario-wide Chimney Swift “Blitz”

18 June 2010 – Each evening as dusk approaches, you may notice small birds chirping overhead, circling tall chimneys. If these birds are cigar-shaped, with relatively long pointed wings and a quick, jerky flight – and if they dive at (and then into) a chimney around sunset – you likely have Chimney Swifts in your neighbourhood.
Bird Studies Canada is inviting Ontario residents to help look for Chimney Swifts next weekend, as part of a province-wide “blitz.” Volunteers in communities throughout Ontario will spend an evening watching a local chimney or similar manmade structure for signs of swifts. The goals are to increase our knowledge of Chimney Swift activity, and to raise awareness of the plight of the Chimney Swift, a federally Threatened species whose population has declined in Canada by 96% over the last 40 years.
You can help researchers investigate Ontario’s Chimney Swift population, and identify critical Chimney Swift habitats, by choosing a single night between June 25-27, and watching a chimney where swifts may nest or roost. Start your monitoring period 20 minutes before sunset, and continue until you see the last bird entering the chimney. Complete the Chimney Swift Record Form and email your results to evanstam@birdscanada.org.
Observations from the Chimney Swift “Blitz” and the Ontario SwiftWatch monitoring and research program will help scientists develop recovery strategies for this species.