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Barrie remains 'stable' sanctuary for threatened chimney swifts (4 photos)

'But sadly, at least seven Barrie chimneys that had previously been open for and occupied by chimney swifts have been either capped or removed,' says Nature Barrie member

They’re down south right now. Nice and warm, waiting for the Barrie winter to melt away before they head back home to their chimney.

These snowbirds are actually migratory chimney swifts, who will return to Barrie in the spring after an incredibly long journey  think Peru, Ecuador, northern Chile and northwestern Brazil  and then set up house in a city chimney.

They can enjoy some safety in the bricked stacks high off the ground and also know their human friends will help them survive the onset of urbanization.

“We have had about 40 chimneys in Barrie that have been active with chimney swifts at one time or another since Nature Barrie has been monitoring them,” club member Phyllis Tremblay tells BarrieToday.

There are a few chimneys that fellow swift enthusiasts keep an eye on.

“Nature Barrie volunteers have been monitoring nest and roost sites to support stewardship, research and conservation efforts since 2011,” she says. “The club operates an ongoing swift outreach and monitoring program from May to September.”

On a nice summer night, you can see dozens of swifts around old buildings downtown or the old jail or around Unity Christian High School on Burton Avenue darting and swooping for their flying-insect dinner.

From where she’s perched, Tremblay  who is also a regional SwiftWatch co-ordinator  thinks the birds are doing OK here in the city by the bay.

“In my opinion, the Barrie records from 2010 to 2021 indicate that the chimney swift population is stable,” she says. “But sadly, at least seven Barrie chimneys that had previously been open for and occupied by chimney swifts have been either capped or removed.”

That’s certainly not the case for one of the most prominent structures in the city that swifts call home: the still-standing chimney of the former Barrie Central Collegiate that towers over the surrounding rubble-strewn property.

City of Barrie officials are aware of the swifts' plight in the city, and on that property in particular, according to Michelle Banfield, director of development services.

She says it’s important to safeguard the chimney swifts in general.

“The chimney swift is a threatened species in Canada, where its population has dropped over 90 per cent since the 1970s,” Banfield explains. “The species face threats, such as the loss of their nesting and resting habitat, and a decline in populations of suitable insects to feed on.

“Where any species-at-risk is found, the city will engage with landowners and appropriate authorities and stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Nature Barrie.”

Banfield says the developer of the former high school site is considering the swifts' future, including doing any removal/replacement outside of the bird’s active season, along with other criteria.

“The city has agreed to provide lands to accommodate the relocation of the chimney habitat and is working with the developer, currently identifying sites and planning the construction of a new habitat,” she says.

Why all the fuss about a bird? Because it’s a cool bird.

Its nesting grounds in Barrie are least an 8,000- or 10,000-kilometre flight to similar digs down in South America.

Chimney swifts are aerial insectivores, meaning they capture insects as they fly.

At rest, a chimney swift is unable to perch or stand. It clings  facing upward  to a vertical rough surface.

Chimney swifts drink and bathe by skimming the water surface in flight.

Their strong feet are anisodactyl (three toes forward and one toe back) and the spiny tips on their tail help them to cling easily to those vertical surfaces.

“They are not closely related to bats, but appear to have a bat-like flight when flapping their wings,” Tremblay notes. “They look somewhat similar to swallows, but are not related to swallows and are placed in the order Apodiformes, along with hummingbirds.”

The Nature Barrie member is hopeful residents take an interest in the local Chaetura pelagica and consider joining the club’s monitoring crew  Barrie SwiftWatch  and help track migrating swifts and nesting-season activity.