ChimneySwift_Challenges_Hargis_Shelia_AustinTX_12March2023_Reel4145.mp3

Shelia Hargis [00:00:00] Chimney swifts: unfortunately, they've been in a long-term, range-wide decline of about 2% per year between 1966 and at least 2019. That has resulted in a cumulative decline of over 67%, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

Shelia Hargis [00:00:23] And if you think about it, it's, it's a very sad decline in my opinion, but it's not that surprising.

Shelia Hargis [00:00:29] So, if their nest habitat is declining, then you would expect the species population to decline.

Shelia Hargis [00:00:38] So, the masonry chimneys that used to be the standard chimney in houses is no longer how they build chimneys now. Right? Those older chimneys that had the masonry on the inside, they're either deteriorating, or they're being destroyed, or maybe they're being capped by the homeowner.

Shelia Hargis [00:01:00] And so, now the newer homes have these chimneys that are basically a metal opening that does not provide habitat for nesting.

Shelia Hargis [00:01:10] For birds that would have nested in dead trees, we regularly cut those trees down and we don't leave them standing to provide habitat for all sorts of wildlife. So there's that aspect from the nesting portion of their life.

Shelia Hargis [00:01:27] But, there's so much more to understand, and so many more challenges when you're dealing with migratory birds. So, not only do we have to make sure that they have suitable nesting habitat when they're up here with us, but we have to make sure that they have the habitat that they need to migrate, you know, along their migration journey, make sure that wherever they're spending our winter, that the habitat that they need down there is in place also.

Shelia Hargis [00:01:56] So all of that is very challenging.

Shelia Hargis [00:02:00] And then in this case, you have a bird that eats insects. So with populations of insects crashing, then of course the birds that rely on that as their food source are going to struggle.

Shelia Hargis [00:02:14] So there's so many things at play here. It's so challenging to reverse that decline.