SAVE THE DATE! Watch 1,000 Chimney Swifts dive into the Whitewater Middle School Chimney!!

ATTENTION SWIFTIES. What are Chimney Swifts and why do we care about them? Chimney Swifts are unique birds that migrate north in the spring and south in the fall. While here, they eat thousands of insects each, EVERY day as they swoop and glide through the skies. As the summer days get shorter, Chimney Swifts from a wide area will gather in large chimneys to stay warm overnight. In Whitewater, that roosting chimney is located at Whitewater Middle School. Last fall an estimated 1,000 Swifts dove nightly into the Whitewater Middle School chimney to roost prior to flying to the Amazon for the winter! The roosting lasts for a short number of days. The ‘ganging up’ of the Swifts picks up speed during the last couple of weeks of August. Urban Forestry, with cooperation from the Whitewater Unified School District, is inviting the public to enjoy this spectacle of nature which occurs at sunset. Bring your blankets or chairs and settle in behind the middle school to watch this “Swift-nado” during the last couple of weekends of August.

Then please join us to help us count how many Swifts do the ‘dive at dusk’ on August 30th at 7 pm. Plan on arriving at 6:30 for a short program with speakers talking about birds and bugs and trees during our official Swift Night Out! This is an amazing spectacle that you won’t want to miss. See you there!

To pique your interest, take the quiz:
Chimney Swift Quiz
1 How long do Swifts fly without landing?
2 Can Swifts perch in a tree?
3 What life functions do Swifts perform on the wing?
4 How many rest stops do Swifts take on their migration to South America?
5 What is the average life span of a Swift?
6 How many Swifts occupy a single chimney during chick raising season?
7 Swift nests are comprised of what?
8 When Swifts hang in chimneys, what prevents their butts from rubbing against the chimney wall?

Scroll down for the answers.

Answers
1 Swifts fly continuously for 10 months!
2 Swifts cannot land as they do not have an opposable thumb.
3 Swifts eat, sleep, and mate on the wing.
4 Swifts fly non-stop to South America!
5 The average life span of Swifts is 21 years! Other small wild birds 4-5 years
6 During the chick raising season, each chimney will host only one pair.
7 Swifts use saliva to build their nests gluing small sticks together in a corner.
8 Swifts have porcupine type quills in their tail feathers to support them when they hang in chimneys.