Related Resources, Readings…and Questions
The late Prof. Edward (Jed) Burtt of Ohio Wesleyan University recommended an out-of print book entitled Swifts in a Tower by David Lack. He also recommended searching for old articles by Ralph Dexter, former professor at Kent State University, who observed swifts for 40 years. Yet another book of interest is Swifts: A Guide to the Swifts and Treeswifts of the World by Phil Chantler.
A good online resource is the Chimney Swifts Web site (maintained by the Driftwood Wildlife Association of Austin, TX).
What About Spring Migration?
The swifts return to central Ohio around April 15 each year. Donna Daniel posed an interesting question to me. She asked if the swifts put on a similar show as they migrate north. On May 5, 2004, I counted 750 birds entering the chimney between 8:52-8:57pm. On May 28 I counted 130 birds. The majority of them entered between 9:18-9:23 pm. Typically during nesting there are only one or two pairs of swifts in each chimney. One wonders if this large chimney will accommodate more pairs of nesting birds, or are these 130 birds non-breeding?
Jenny Bowman, author of this series, retired after a long career as a music teacher at Scottish Corners Elementary in the Dublin City Schools. She is an avid amateur birder who has traveled to over 60 countries. She has been observing and gathering data on the swifts at this old Dublin high school for over ten years.