2. • children less connected with nature
• need for in-town pocket parks that re-connect people
with nature
• declining awareness that local actions can make a
difference
• few inexpensive opportunities to provide lasting
benefits for declining species populations
• capitalizing on nature based tourism trends in local
approach to economic development
Some Current Conservation Challenges in
Brunswick:
3. A rare, and challenging
opportunity to protect a
publicly accessible
natural phenomenon
4. Roosting vs. Nesting?
Roosts are used by flocks often numbering in the
hundreds during migration and are critical
predator-free stop over sites. Have been shown to
be a key limiting factor in species conservation.
Nesting typically takes place in
smaller residential chimneys.
Usually only 1 or sometimes 2
pairs will nest together.
5. How rare is this opportunity?
• In all of Maritime Provinces less than 10
roosts remain
• In ME probably less than 40 roosts
remain, none of this size (use) known, none
are protected
For comparison
• In ME there are 200+/- shorebird roosts,
81 that receive formal protection by MDEP
6. How challenging is this opportunity?
• Most conservation $$$ for habitat
protection buys acreage
• Most conservation groups have little
interest in built (urban) landscape
• Plight of chimney swifts is not well
known even by most conservation groups
• Many people assume because birds spend
time in developed areas, must be common,
or at “unnaturally” high populations
= a true conservation conundrum
8. A bird truly built for
life on the wing. Only
stop flying while on
nest or at night roost.
10. Swifts are monogamous returning to nest site year after year,
typical clutch size = 4 eggs, on average 3 fledge per nest
11. Preferred nest and roost
habitat:
• Proximate to large water
bodies
• 95% w/in 1km of water;
OBHS is 2,600 feet from river
• Given mostly aerial habits
hard to tie to any given habitat
type other than where
structures for roosting/nesting
occur
12. Specific nesting site selection
criteria:
• Nesting chimneys/trees >12”
interior diameter
• Rough interior
• Preferred chimneys pre-date
1960
• In Canada, reported that most
chimneys will not be suitable
within 10 years
Specific roosting site
selection criteria:
• Chimneys/trees >24” interior
diameter, larger the better
• Rough interior
• Preferred chimneys pre-date
1960
• Best remaining in
commercial and institutional
buildings
• In Canada >60% in religious
institutions
14. Swifts have shown the fastest decline
Since the 1960’s global chimney swift populations
have declined 44%
15. In Maine only 4-6% of forest currently
late successional stage (100-200 yrs)
Most industrial forest managed on
short rotation that does not favor old
trees
How is this happening?
1) Loss of natural
habitat
16. 2) Switch to adopted habitat
• First observed using
chimneys 1672 in Maine
• By 1812 Wilson noted
nesting limited to chimneys
in PA
• By 1840 Audubon recorded
most nests in chimneys in
KY
“American Swallow” from Catesby’s 1771 Natural History
17. 3) Loss of adopted habitat
Based on current
chimney upgrade trends,
few nesting chimneys, if
any, will be present in
Canada in 30 years
18. Have chimneys resulted in artificially
high numbers of birds?
• Surveys of late successional forests in NY show
average of seven >20-inch diameter swift eligible
snags per acre
• Based on US census data and estimates of
chimney distribution per acre, available artificial
habitat is 2 orders of magnitude less
19. 4) Climate change
Possible factors for swifts:
• Increase in hurricane activity
• Increase in precipitation during
breeding season
• Likely shifts in prey
abundance
• Many folks upgrading heating
systems
Best we may be able to do
is to maintain functional
habitat
20. 2007 Assessment and Status Report on the Chimney Swift
• Nationwide population = 12,000
•Quebec = 2,500 (Quebec City 553; Montreal 353)
•Maritimes = 900
• Population down 30% in last 3 generations (13.5 yrs)
• Range has declined 1/3 over same period
• Overall 7.8% decrease/yr 1968-2005 (95% drop over period)
21. Maine’s ComprehensiveMaine’s Comprehensive
Wildlife ConservationWildlife Conservation
StrategyStrategy
(Wildlife Action Plan)(Wildlife Action Plan)
Identifies 213 Species of Greatest
Conservation Need;
Lists Chimney Swift as a Priority
Species of Greatest Conservation Need
in SWAP;
Under MESA, Chimney Swift listed as a
species of Special Concern eligible for
threatened status due to 42% decline in
20 years
Maine Birder Band
22. Why should we care?
Chimney swifts commonly feed at dusk when mosquitoes are
becoming most active. Chimney swifts eat 1/3 of their weight in flying
insects such as mosquitoes, biting flies and termites every day. A nest
of four nestlings will be fed as many as 12,000 insects daily.
23. OBHS roost site is the most active documented in Maine
What we have locally
24. The challenge ahead
• OBHS to be torn down starting
Spring 2009
• School Board Building
Subcommittee working with PDT
Architects on new school
• MMAS members have been
working to build support for
maintaining a functional swift
roost as part of plans
• Funding and show of support
needed
26. What are others
doing?
Robie Tufts Nature Centre,
Wolfville NS
Preserved old dairy chimney
Listed as #21 in the top 50
things to do in Nova Scotia
2007
27. What are others
doing?
Replacements:
• Many examples out
there
•Specifications are key!
Must extend above roof
line +/- 20ft and have
36” x 36” interior
minimum
•Temperature shown to
be a factor.
Maintaining 55F key.
•Have replacement
roost ready upon birds’
spring return
•Swifts don’t show any
architectural style
preference…
28. A Tremendous Educational Opportunity!
• Many schools have incorporated A Swift Night Out and species
ecology into curricula
• Many schools have installed security cameras (<$500) in roosts
for remote in-classroom observation
• Swift roosts are well-visited tourist attractions from New
Brunswick to New Caney, TX
• Brunswick can lead the way for swift conservation in Maine!
29. MMAS efforts to date?
• Roost monitoring and Swift Night Out coordinated during Summer
2008
•To date we have presented to Town Council and received a
unanimous vote of support to pursue funding;
• We have presented to the School Board Building Committee to
address concerns;
• We received grant support from MOHF, and have submitted to
Bowdoin College Common Good
• Will need to rely on private fund raising if this project is
to come to fruition
32. We encourage everyone to becomeWe encourage everyone to become
part of this unique project.part of this unique project.
Merrymeeting Audubon SocietyMerrymeeting Audubon Society
PO Box 544PO Box 544
Bath, ME 04530.Bath, ME 04530.