FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE:
AUGUST 10, 2010
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
BOB ROTATORI - 216-635-3263 -or-
CATHERINE POMIECKO - 216-635-3275
Witness a twilight glimpse of hundreds of flocking
"sparrow-sized bullets with wings" with Cleveland
Metroparks.
It is at the end of the summer season when the fascinating
chimney swifts gather together before starting their migration to
South America.
Discover the acrobatic displays of Ohio's own rare species of
bird at the following free programs:
Swift Night Out
Thursday, August 26 � 7:30 p.m.
GarfieldParkNatureCenter � GarfieldPark
Reservation
Join Naturalist Stacey Allen at GarfieldParkNatureCenter to
watch hundreds of chimney swifts gather and settle in for the night
at their roosting site. Registration required.
GarfieldParkNatureCenter is located on Mill Creek Laneoff Garfield
Park Boulevard in Garfield Park Reservation, between Broadway
Avenue and Turney Road in Garfield Heights. For more information
and to register, call 216-341-3152.
Swift and Sweet Night Out
Thursday, September 2 � 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Bring your lawn chairs for an early evening of watching the
chimney swifts swirl into their nightly communal roost. Meet at a
local treat shop in ChagrinFalls to purchase snacks before
watching. Registration required. Exact meeting location given upon
registration. For more information and to register, call
440-247-7075.
Meet the Flockers: A Swifts Night Out
Friday, September 3 � 7 - 8:30 p.m.
NorthChagrinNatureCenter � North Chagrin
Reservation
Join Naturalist Traci Williams to watch a dazzling display as
the chimney swifts settle in for the night. Meet at
NorthChagrinNatureCenter and carpool to their roosting site.
Registration required. NorthChagrinNatureCenter is located off
Buttermilk Falls Parkway, south of the Sunset Lane entrance of
North Chagrin Reservation, off SOM Center Road/Route 91 in
MayfieldVillage. Don't forget binoculars! For more information and
to register, call 440-473-3370.
Chimney Swift: Dusk Dance
Wednesday, September 22 � 7 - 8 p.m.
Watch as the "flying cigars" gather and funnel down
into a roost for the night. Don't forget binoculars!
Registration required. Exact meeting location given upon
registration. For more information and to register, call
216-206-1000.
Swift Night Out
Wednesday, September 29 � 7:45 - 8:30 p.m.
Watch the dramatic roosting of the chimney swift one last time
before they begin their migration to South America. Registration
required. The twilight spectacle is near the West Side Market -
with exact meeting locations given upon registration. For more
information and to register, call
440-734-6660.
Chimney swifts, nick-named "flying cigars" or
"bows and arrows," are small, sleek, bluish-black birds
with silver-gray throats.
Each year, a small group of swifts finds a suitable nesting
place for the flock. This is called staging. The swifts then begin
to attract other swifts, sometimes thousands, to the site. They
spend nights here until it is time for them to migrate, when they
leave together in an awe-inspiring display.
These fascinating birds rocket through the air and are unable to
perch or stand upright as other birds do. Their feet are
small but strong and are tipped with four sharp claws, which act as
grappling hooks to hold them firmly to vertical surfaces, such as
chimneys.
However, most old industrial smoke stacks have been torn down,
residential chimneys have been capped, and large hollow dead trees
are scarce.
To provide safe habitats for this rare species, Cleveland
Metroparks has constructed three swift towers for the chimney swift
when another chimney cannot be found. The towers may not be used
every year, so visitors should call 216-341-9225 to find out where
the chimney swifts might be spotted. It is a goal of Cleveland
Metroparks to monitor existing nesting and roosting sites and to
develop and test more manageable towers.
See the dramatic flight of chimney swifts with Cleveland
Metroparks - part of your life, naturally.
-30-
