Abstract

Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) are a unique species of bird, gaining their common name from their tendency to swarm and roost in chimneys as they migrate southward for the winter. They are a well-documented and extensively studied species of bird, with a summer range consisting of the entire eastern half of North America, yet they have found themselves on a steady decline for decades, largely due to human actions. Previous studies have been focused in New England, Canada, and Texas, leaving swift migration in the southern Appalachian region virtually undocumented. This project was the first of its kind in this region, cataloging a network of roost sites in and around the Asheville area in order to observe their interconnectedness and better understand the roosting ecology of this species as they travel through this area. Each site was chosen based on both current and historical data, and a number of characteristics were measured that could potentially attract migrating swifts. From a compilation of data spanning nearly two full decades, trends were analyzed between chimney height, volume, tree density, distance to water, consistency of usage, and peak roost size for the season. Some trends had historical foundation from other parts of the country and some were new and unique. The culmination of this study was a better understanding of each chimney’s overall significance, whether it was a consistently used core roost site, or a sporadic and selectively chosen satellite site within the network. This project forms the basis for further study in Asheville and the southern Appalachians.

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