Eyes to the skies, birders! Toribird here with another edition of “Birding at The Woodlands.” It's fall migration, and this is likely the best time of year to see both Common Nighthawks and Chimney Swifts.
The poor nighthawks are badly named - it is in fact not a hawk at all! Rather, nighthawks are in their own family: caprimulgidae, or nightjars. This group is even sometimes referred to as "goatsuckers," due to an ancient belief that they used their huge mouths to suck goat's milk! Though perhaps superficially similar to raptors, nightjars have a vastly different lifestyle. Roosting on tree branches by day, they hunt insects in flight in the twilight of dusk and dawn. To spot a nighthawk, visit an open area in the evening and look up! They prefer meadowy habitats, but can be anywhere. Nighthawks can be recognized by their long, pointed wings with a white stripe towards the tip. They have a distinctive bounding flight, often holding their wings in a dihedral, or V shape.
Another notable bird seen this time of year is the Chimney Swift. Unlike nighthawks, these birds are well-named as they rely on chimneys for nesting and roosting. This dependence has contributed to their rapid loss of numbers - a jarring cumulative decline of over 72%. Modern metal chimneys are too slick for the swifts to grab hold of, and many older brick chimneys are getting capped or even removed. Furthermore, heavy insecticide use is killing off their prey. These birds can be aided by the construction of swift towers for nesting, and of course the reduction of insecticide use.
From September to mid-October, swifts congregate in immense flocks and spiral around a chimney before they drop in to roost for the night. And guess what - we are fortunate enough to have a Chimney Swift roost right here in West Philly! The Elmwood Community Methodist Church on 46th and Chester is about half a mile from The Woodlands, and currently hosts roosting swifts! They begin to enter about 15 minutes after sunset, sometimes a bit earlier if cloud cover causes darker conditions. With only about 25 - 40 birds that I observed using this chimney, this is quite a small roost by swift standards. It is enjoyable to watch nevertheless, and provides a good opportunity to get a close view at a species that otherwise tends to fly quite high.
This video shows several hundred Chimney Swifts going to roost downtown.
If you want to see the full swift spectacle, consider making an evening trip to either the James Dobson Elementary School in Manayunk, or the Barclay Building on 18th and Spruce. As we approach October, both spots will host up to several thousand Chimney Swifts that create a dark vortex cloud, chattering boisterously, before trickling into the chimney as darkness falls. It's certainly quite a sight to see!
I would certainly be remiss if I did not take a moment in this blog to remind everyone that Lights Out is in effect once more for fall migration, and will run until November 15th. Many species, especially songbirds, migrate at night as this prevents them from being exposed to predators and glaring sun. However, artificial lights at night frequently attract and disorient these birds, causing them to collide with windows or become exhausted. This year's new Lights Out Philly program minimizes the threat by encouraging building managers and homeowners to turn off outdoor lights from midnight to 6am, and pull shades if indoor lights are needed during those hours. Many prominent Philly high-rises have signed on to the program, and I hope you take the pledge as well to help ensure a safe journey for the countless birds that migrate through our city!
One more thing - I will be leading a birdwalk on October 8th at 7:30am! In addition to looking for migrating birds such as warblers, we will learn more about how to participate in Lights Out, as well as other ways to make the Philadelphia area safer for birds. Learn more and register here. Hope to see you there!