Baby Vaux's Swift trapped on the floor of a fireplace after its nest fell out of the chimney.

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I discovered these four (three are pictured) baby Vaux's Swifts on the floor of my fireplace recently. At the same time, I also found part of a broken nest. Vaux's Swifts are the smallest member of the Swift family, which includes Chimney Swifts. Like Chimney Swifts, Vaux's Swifts will build their nests in chimneys when other suitable habitation, in this case, tall, dead trees, cannot be found. The adult Vaux's Swifts attach small twigs to the inside walls of the chimney using their glue-like saliva. The fallen nest on the floor of the fireplace with the baby birds indicated that the nest had broken free from the wall, perhaps due to the increased weight of the growing birds. Their sharp, tiny claws make them excellent "clingers" and climbers, and to save them from a tragic end meant placing them above the chimney damper and allowing them to climb back up to their parents; something I did after taking these photos. I'm pleased to report all the baby swifts are back with their parents and - by the raucous sounds they're making - doing well.

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Size: 4532px × 3021px
Location: Puyallup, Washington, USA
Photo credit: © Phil Lowe / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: animals, ash, baby, birds, chimney, fireplace, migratory, nature, soot, state, swift, swifts, vaux, washington, wildlife