Category Archives: Archived News

VIDEO: 860 swifts at Janesville’s “Swift Night Out”

On the evening of September 7th 2014 Janesville (an official Wisconsin “Bird City“) had a “Swift Night Out” event.  860 migrating swifts were counted descending the chimney to spend the night at the Washington Elementary school before continuing their journey to South America.  Thanks to Joni Denker for sharing this impressive video on YouTube and posting on eBird.org.  Janesville’s Bird City Facebook page is here.

Wisc Humane Society rehabs “Matt” the swift

Rehabbed swift at Wisc Humane Society
© Wisconsin Humane Society.

The Wisconsin Humane Society’s wildlife rehab center in Milwaukee cares for over 5,000 sick, injured and orphaned wild animals every year.  This lucky swift made a full recovery:

Matt had suffered a mild concussion from a collision and was stunned. Because Swifts eat on the wing and don’t know how to feed on the ground, Wildlife staff diligently hand fed mealworms to Matt every half an hour to make sure he had enough to eat. After several days of hand-feeding and medical treatment, Matt finally perked up and was ready to be released!

Read more about Matt at The Wisconsin Humane Society website.

Hartland kids & businesses team up to build swift roosting tower


Ramsey Schlissel tells us that ground has broken on the Hartland chimney tower project.  A huge chimney at the historic White Elm Nursery, a roosting site for about 1000 swifts, was demolished this year.   The Hartland community raised funds to build a replacement “chimney”.  Hopes are high that migrating swifts will relocate this fall to the nearby Ice Age Trail – John Muir Lookout, south of town along the Bark River.

WI Chimney Swift Working Group news

The WI Chimney Swift Working Group has advanced their agenda of acquainting more Wisconsin citizens with Chimney Swifts during autumn of 2013. At the last meeting of the Working Group, we met with faculty and students from Hartland to assist them with planning a replacement roost chimney for an historic building there that has hosted more than 1000+ swifts for their fall roost. Plans for the new chimney are in process.

During autumn of 2013, swift watches took places at over 120 sites in Wisconsin. Plans are underway for more watches in 2014, plus the building of swift towers at a number of locations in Wisconsin. A new Chimney Swift Working Group website is in process also. Check back here for more news as these projects unfold.