In Conversation with Tim Poole

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/05/2016 (3732 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the past decade, a small group of dedicated conservationists in Manitoba have been working to provide habitat for the threatened chimney swift, which, in the words of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is an “enigmatic little bird” that spends almost its entire life airborne and consumes mosquitoes by the thousands.

Chimney swifts, which make a “chittering” sound, can be mistaken for swallows, but their long boomerang-shaped wings and short, stubby tail feathers make for easy recognition.

We talked to biologist Tim Poole, habitat stewardship and outreach co-ordinator of the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative (MCSI) and co-ordinator of the Manitoba Important Bird Areas Program, about the work being done by the MCSI to help save the chimney swift from extinction.

Free Press: What is the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative?

Tim Poole: It is a partnership dedicated to the conservation of the chimney swift, a provincially and nationally threatened species that breeds in southern Manitoba. The MCSI is run by dedicated volunteers through Nature Manitoba with substantial support from the provincial and federal governments and Bird Studies Canada.

The MCSI was created in 2005 when then Nature Manitoba board member Lewis Cocks assembled a group of professionals and naturalists to discuss how best to address the plight of our vanishing chimney swifts, reported to have declined by about 95 per cent over the last 40 years.

The chimney swift has a particular trait that we felt warranted attention: although they formerly nested in large hollow trees, this species now relies almost exclusively on chimneys. They nest on the inside of the vertical wall of a chimney where no other Manitoba bird can. With the good-old chimney no longer being a feature of modern construction, and with many chimneys being lined or capped, our group decided to address the loss of habitat and a beautiful collaboration was born.

 FP: What is the role and importance of the chimney swift in the ecosystem?

TP: Chimney Swifts consume an enormous amount of airborne insects, up to 1,000 mosquitoes per day. They have remarkable endurance in flight and an extraordinary ability to conduct almost all aspects of their lives in the air (they can even sleep on the wing!), but it turns out they are not alone. A whole group of migratory birds that catch insects in the air — the so-called “aerial insectivores”— are in steep decline. This also includes many of our swallows, nightjars and flycatchers. If declines in this group of species, nature’s own pest control, are sustained, there will be major consequences for whole ecosystems.

FP: What sorts of initiatives have you done over the years to protect the chimney swift, and how successful have they been?

TP: In its early years, the MCSI built and monitored artificial chimneys for swifts. We erected five artificial chimneys based on successful designs from Texas. We engaged a small army of volunteer citizen-scientists to monitor active chimneys and artificial towers and keep detailed records. It became quickly apparent that the Texas tower design was not at all acceptable to chimney swifts in Manitoba. We discovered the internal temperature of artificial towers fluctuated more than those attached to buildings. 

From that early failure was borne a great success. Instead of building towers, we invested in repairing failing chimneys and working with landowners to ensure their chimneys remained suitable for swifts from May to August. Our first success was in St Adolphe in 2009 and the swifts showed their appreciation. We have since found new champions to help us save swift habitat in Winnipeg, St Jean Baptiste and other sites in St Adolphe, restoring seven chimneys in total.

Further projects in five urban centres are being discussed for 2016 and MCSI has not given up on building artificial towers. We assisted the provincial government in designing a prototype tower in 2015 as part of the mitigation for the demolition of the old Grace Hospital site in Wolseley, whose large stack was a habitat for swifts. We also helped with the design of a faux-chimney to be included in the housing unit that will be built on site. The free-standing tower will be moved to a new home at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

FP: Are you optimistic about the long-term survival chances of chimney swifts in Manitoba and elsewhere?

TP: We are cautiously optimistic the chimney swift population in Manitoba will survive in the long-term, but we also know it will require substantial effort and dedication. We are increasing awareness of chimney swifts across Manitoba, opening eyes to their existence and their plight. How can people be expected to protect what they do not know about? We wish to change this.

To learn more about the Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative, go to www.mbchimneyswift.ca. People can also email mcsi.outreach@gmail.com or phone 204-943-9029.

 

 

 

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