Conservation Manager Chad Machinski, M.S., manages the stewardship of MA’s sanctuaries and engaging with our dedicated volunteers ever since. To help you stay connected with the work being done, he will be presenting regular online updates about activities going on at them: birds seen or heard, conservation work, improvements, interesting plants, and more.
This month’s blog will focus on Michigan Audubon’s successful week-long Swift Night Out event in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day.
Of Apes, Monoliths, and Birds
Sunday, May 11th concluded Michigan Audubon’s first week-long Swift Night Out event at Smith Floral in Lansing. We held this event in honor of World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), which was Saturday May 10th; the theme of this year’s WMBD was Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-friendly Cities and Communities. What better bird to showcase than the Chimney Swift, a bird intimately tied to humans. While it may seem like it would have been redundant to hold the exact same event every night for a week, I can assure you it was not. I thought I had some idea of Chimney Swift behavior from watching a chimney for two weeks last fall during migration, but each day I came away with a new curiosity for their pre-roosting behavior. Not to mention that every night there were new faces eager to learn about Chimney Swifts.
The most consistent part of the event was that Chimney Swifts showed up every night, unlike last fall when we had a great turnout of people, but no swifts showed up. Each night this year we had between 400 and 500 swifts pour into the chimney, except for Thursday, May 8th. On this day the temperature was around 45F with winds over 10mph and gusts likely bringing the temp down into the 30s. With sunset at 8:47pm, I was caught off guard when swifts began to enter the chimney at 8:15pm. The cold was likely the reason for their early entry and no one was complaining as we were all a little chilly out there and it looked like we’d be packing it in early. Generally speaking, from the time the first swift enters to the time the last swift enters, about 20 minutes pass. With this in mind, I anticipated all swifts to be tucked away in the chimney at sunset. However, this was not the case. As we started to click away at our clicker-counters, clicking off roughly every five swifts that went in, the numbers began to climb and climb. Just when we thought they were about done, with only six to seven birds still in the sky, another 20 would show up. This kept happening, over and over. I glanced a few times at my clicker, noticing the number surpassing the previous days and then at my watch. From first swift in to last swift in took 50 minutes, my longest stretch of entry yet, and by the end we estimated 1,000 Chimney Swifts, a personal record in my short time counting.
The following nights were more typical. Warmer days led to the swifts staying out longer, not even really showing up to the chimney in large numbers until right before sunset. Then when it came time for entry, a very constant stream of birds occurs until all were inside for the night. While experiencing 1,000 swifts is an experience I won’t forget, it was a choppy, spread-out entry. Times of fewer birds (still between 400-500) with warmer weather, I think, probably yields the greatest thrill for visitors and people new to Chimney Swifts. Chatting amongst visitors on these nights is slowly replaced by silent anticipation as the whole group of swifts begins to gather up, chittering to one another, working out some yet to be understood social dynamics before entry. We all wait and wait and wait. It seems that the swifts will never enter. They make false passes at the chimney and slip over its sides like there’s an invisible object keeping them from entering. And we sit there in near silence, staring at this monolithic structure. The people who have never seen this before are likely wondering what they are doing here, why did they decide to spend their evening here. But then it happens and the swifts begin to finally pour in. A smile comes across my face, first as relief that it’s happening and then as pleasure as an anonymous “wow.” comes from the crowd. The amazement is palpable; few words get said as we all watch. “It’s like the chimney is sucking them in!” is another frequent response to the bizarre event, and that is truly what it looks like. The last swift goes in and there is clapping and cheers from the crowd and myself.
Each night felt like a new night; new people meant new things for them to learn, new anticipation, and new excitement. It was a pleasure to do this event and I want to thank everyone who came out to learn about Chimney Swifts and watch this spectacular phenomenon.
Swift Night Out 5/10/2025. Chad Machinski discusses Chimney Swifts to two visitors during the week long Swift Night Out held at Smith Floral. Photo by Murphy Harrington
Although watching Chimney Swifts go to roost is most commonly associated with fall migration, spring is an important time as well. I want us to break this association with the fall. I want us to think about Chimney Swifts year around. Michigan Audubon is working to continuously collect information from community members regarding Chimney Swift roost sites around the state. We are very much missing information on Chimney Swift roost sites during their spring migration, let’s change that now and in the future. Chimney Swifts are still migrating through Michigan, with some initial reports from the UP as of last week, so there is still time before nesting begins. Please continue to report roost monitoring information to our reporting form, which can be found here. In addition, a public facing map can show you where Confirmed Roosts are (blue dots), Potential Roosts (orange dots), and past Nesting Sites (Green dots). Clicking on each dot brings up information regarding past surveys done there which can be helpful in determining when to check the chimney.
Chimney Swifts have been upgraded to an Orange Alert Tipping Point Species in this year’s State of the Birds report, but in order for us to help them, we need your help.
To learn more about Michigan Audubon sanctuaries, visit michiganaudubon.org/conservation/bird-sanctuaries. If you want to volunteer at a Michigan Audubon sanctuary, please complete the Sanctuary Volunteer Interest Form.
Chad Machinski, MS
Conservation Manager
While Chad’s first love is botany, he doesn’t deny the intertwining nature of birds, plants, insects, and all other organisms we share the world with. His passion for the natural world began in his undergraduate time at the University of Michigan, taking several different forms along the way. His graduate studies at the University of Michigan allowed him to more closely examine the natural communities of Michigan and further understand the complex nature of ecosystems. His work as a Nichols Arboretum Caretaker while in school further enabled him to be directly involved in conservation work as he led workdays removing invasive plant species, performed trail maintenance, and guided tours. Chad can usually be found out in a park in a few ways: binoculars glued to his face, hunched over looking at plants, or flipping logs looking for snakes and salamanders.