. Birds in Kansas. Birds -- Kansas Identification. Swifts Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica (Linnaeus) Status: The Chimney Swift is a common transient and breeding bird in the central and eastern part of the state. It becomes progressively less common heading westward, where its breeding status is un- Period of Occurrence: The Chim- ney Swift has been recorded as early as 31 March, but the normal migration begins around 16 Ap- ril; the normal fall departure begins 10 October, with an extreme date of 22 October. Breeding: As its name implies, this swift now nests primarily in chim- neys
. Birds in Kansas. Birds -- Kansas Identification. Swifts Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica (Linnaeus) Status: The Chimney Swift is a common transient and breeding bird in the central and eastern part of the state. It becomes progressively less common heading westward, where its breeding status is un- Period of Occurrence: The Chim- ney Swift has been recorded as early as 31 March, but the normal migration begins around 16 Ap- ril; the normal fall departure begins 10 October, with an extreme date of 22 October. Breeding: As its name implies, this swift now nests primarily in chim- neys. Prior to man-made structures, it nested in hollow trees and caves. The nest is constructed of small twigs, which the swift takes on the wing from the tops of trees. The nests are placed inside the chimney and held in place by saliva used as a glue. (In fact, Chinese bird's nest soup uses the saliva of Asiatic Swifts, which make a nest of hardened saliva and very few sticks.) The nest is unlined, and the four white eggs are laid on the twigs. The eggs hatch in about 18 days. The young remain in the nest, where they are fed by their parents for an additional four weeks before departure. Habits and Habitat: These superb flyers are most at home flying above the rooftops looking for insects or performing courtship displays. They are sometimes referred to as "flying ; As the name Chimney Swift implies, they are indeed swift, and other members of the family have been clocked at speeds over 100 MPH. They are particularly adept at flying in close formation with wings held high. When approaching the nest site, they circle and then suddenly flutter into the chimney. In the fall, certain areas are used as staging sites for enormous numbers of birds prior to their southward departure. Southwestern College in Winfield has such a staging area, where an estimated 10,000 birds gather in early October prior to their migra- tion. Just at dusk, the birds swirl around the chimney
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