 Breeding evidence |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-3.95 (-4.39 - -3.51)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Breeding for Chimney Swifts was confirmed on 18 July 2017 by Ron Jensen who revisited a previously recorded breeding location in the ventilation shaft of a barn near Zenon Park; two nestlings were observed. Two other sightings were made in the area, one downstream from Tobin Lake and one near the Manitoba border near Armit. In the south, Chimney Swifts were reported annually from Estevan, and though nesting has not been confirmed for the city it is probable given that they are present in town throughout the breeding season.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Often dubbed a "cigar with wings,? the Chimney Swift has slender wings shaped like scythe blades, and is well adapted for a high-speed aerial life. Its four toes point forward to help the birds cling to vertical surfaces for roosting and nesting (P. Taylor and G. E. Holland in Taylor et al. 2003). It breeds from east-central Saskatchewan east to Nova Scotia and south to the Gulf coast, and winters in northern South America.
Most sightings have been from two areas in the Manitoba Lowlands: from Tobin Lake east, and from the north and east slopes of the Pasquia Hills (SBDB). As these areas are sparsely settled, it seems likely that most nest sites are in their original nesting habitat: tree cavities.
The Chimney Swift is an uncommon summer resident in east-central Saskatchewan, with most records from the Manitoba Lowlands. After an 8 year absence, 4 flew over Nipawin 3 Jul 1959; since then it has not been found west of Tobin Lake. Migrants have been seen very rarely at scattered localities throughout southern Saskatchewan west to Saskatoon and Leader. Once common in eastern Canada west into Manitoba, the Canadian population dropped by 95% to an estimated 12,000 birds in 2007 (Canadian Nature Federation 2009), when it was listed as an endangered species.
Original text by Alan R. Smith. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Chimney Swift in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Chimney Swift in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=CHSW&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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