Skip to content
  • Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is now open visit FutureForWildlife.org/reopen for details.
  • For Outdoor Education programs, visit clevelandmetroparks.com/knowbeforeyougo - Nature Centers remain closed.
  • For updated closures visit clevelandmetroparks.com/COVID-19.
  • About
  • Submit a tip
  • Contact the Police: 440.331.5530
  • Emergency: 440.333.4911
  • Users with low vision can activate this option to help them read text.
  • Users prone to seizures can deactivate this option to ensure that the site does not cause any blinking animations.
  • Allow content to change automatically
  • Accessibility Information
  • Cart
  • Sign In
Home
  • Parks
  • Zoo
  • Golf
  • Dining
View All Results

    Witness the Dazzling Display of Chimney Swifts with Cleveland Metroparks

    News & Press | August 2010

    Witness the Dazzling Display of Chimney Swifts with Cleveland Metroparks

    Posted: August 10, 2010
    Share Post
    Archive
      No data found

     



    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-



     

    PREV POST Brad Steven Becomes A Three-Time Greater Cleveland Amateur Golf Champion
    NEXT POST Seniors Celebrated at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
    Stay Up To Date
    • 4101 Fulton Parkway, Cleveland OH 44144
    • 216.635.3200
    • generalinfo@clevelandmetroparks.com
    • Police:
    • Submit a tip
    • 440.331.5530
    • Emergency: 440.333.4911
    • Text Emergencies to 911 (Cuyahoga County)
    • Parks
      • Visit
      • Calendar
      • Education
      • Recreation
      • Shop
      • Support
    • Golf
      • Courses
      • Lessons & Events
      • Pricing
      • About
      • Book A Tee Time
    • Zoo
      • Tickets & Attractions
      • Programs & Events
      • Wildlife Conservation
      • Education
      • Animals
      • Buy Tickets
    • About
      • Cleveland Metroparks Organization
      • Education
      • Recreation
      • Conservation
      • Employment
      • Contact Us
    • Programs & Events
    • News & Press
    • Board Meetings
    • Privacy Policy
    Home
    © 2021 Cleveland Metroparks. All Rights Reserved.