Portland has a bunch of swift fans. The superstar of the city’s fall season flies at sunset — in fact, the swift flies most of the time — even mating mid-flight.
The Vaux’s swifts, for the uninitiated, roost in a decommissioned chimney at Chapman Elementary during their fall migration. By the thousands, the tiny birds swirl in a cyclone-style formation into their overnight quarters, making for a magnificent show. Head over at sunset to check out the spectacle — and for some good people-watching.
In the meantime, Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Joe Liebezeit answered questions about the creatures:
What are these creatures?
“A Vaux's swift is a small bird that's really built for speed. Some people have heard of them as a cigar with wings. They have this short, stout body, very small bill; their tail is kind of stubby and rounded. And then they have these really long wings that are swept back and pointed.
“They’re built for doing pretty much everything on the wing. They eat insects as they fly in the air. They mate on the air.
“They come down to drink water. They come into land when they need to rest or nest, basically.”
Is there ever a concern that one day they're just gonna be like, “We're done with Chapman. We're done with Portland. We're going to Boise”?
“Who knows? Sometimes they'll use a site for many years and then not use it, but it's been decades that they've been using that Chapman chimney consistently in large numbers.
“Maybe 20 or more years ago we worked to ensure that [Portland Public Schools] wouldn't get rid of the chimney and to refurbish it. The swifts historically have relied on large, old-growth trees that have been hollowed out from fire or from just decay over time. There's been a lot of loss of our old-growth forests, and so the swifts have been able to adapt to using human structures now.”
What are the numbers like this year?
“This year so far, the numbers are actually looking a little lower than normal. We've been getting 2,000 birds. Typically by mid-September, we're getting upwards of six- or 7,000 birds. So, we're really low this year. We're not sure if it's an anomaly.
“It could be related to the predators. We have had several nights where we've had a Cooper's hawk, sitting on the chimney, just sitting there for like 45 minutes. I don't want to, you know, in any way vilify the predators."
Do you have any concerns about their population, about the health of the species?
“The Vaux swifts are in decline. It's not enough to warrant a listing like an endangered species. But it is definitely a bird of concern in our region.”
