Left: Young chimney swifts hanging out near their nest inside the chimney in late July.
Right: The artificial chimney located at the north end of Assiniboine Park.

If you’ve ever looked up while walking around Assiniboine Park and noticed small, boomerang-shaped birds darting through the air, you may have spotted a chimney swift! These aerial insectivores (birds that catch insects in flight) are listed as threatened in Canada, and we are thrilled that they’ve chosen Assiniboine Park as a nesting site once again this summer.

Chimney swifts are unique among birds – they cannot perch like most songbirds and instead cling to vertical surfaces to roost. While these birds historically nested in large, hollow trees, they have adapted to nesting in chimneys and other human-made structures as their original habitat disappeared. Unfortunately, modern houses are often built without chimneys, and suitable nesting sites are once again increasingly rare.

That’s why the presence of nesting chimney swifts at the Park is such an important conservation win. Located near the McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre, the artificial chimney has provided a safe and undisturbed space for these birds to raise their young since its installation in 2018. Each year, our Conservation and Research team monitors the chimney swifts’ activity via a trail camera installed inside the chimney. This summer, the swifts successfully fledged five nestlings!

This nesting success is part of our broader commitment to protecting native birds through the North American Songbird SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program. By maintaining and monitoring a suitable habitat, we’re helping support at-risk species like the chimney swift that call the Park home, helping protect urban biodiversity.

Want to learn more about chimney swifts and how you can help? Visit the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative for resources and to report your sightings.