Chimney Swift

Chaetura pelagica

common Chittering call

Learn to identify the Chimney Swift by ear. Master the "chip-chip-chip-chip" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.

“chip-chip-chip-chip”

What the Chimney Swift sounds like

Fast, evenly spaced chips spill out as the bird circles in flight and chases insects through the air.

How to tell it apart

Listen for: “chip-chip-chip-chip”

Where you'll hear it

Breeds across eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast; migrates through Central America and winters in the upper Amazon Basin of South America.

Open sky above towns, suburbs, forests, fields, rivers, and lakes; nests and roosts in chimneys, wells, silos, hollow trees, and occasionally cave walls.

Arrives on the breeding grounds in April, raises 1 brood in early summer, gathers in large communal roosts from late July, and departs south by late September.

How to recognize it by sight

A slender, soot-brown aerial insectivore often described as a "cigar with wings." It spends almost its entire life on the wing, flying with rapid, stiff wingbeats and only landing to roost or nest on vertical surfaces inside chimneys or hollow trees.

Similar species

Vaux's Swift

Smaller and paler gray overall

Black Swift

Much larger and bulkier

Purple Martin

Swallow with broader, slower-beating wings

Chimney Swift sound FAQ

What does a Chimney Swift sound like?

Fast, evenly spaced chips spill out as the bird circles in flight and chases insects through the air. Listen for the "chip-chip-chip-chip" phrase.

How do I tell a Chimney Swift from a Vaux's Swift?

Vaux's Swift: Smaller and paler gray overall. Underparts slightly lighter. Ranges chiefly in western North America.

When is the best time to hear a Chimney Swift?

Arrives on the breeding grounds in April, raises 1 brood in early summer, gathers in large communal roosts from late July, and departs south by late September.