Chimney Swift

Chaetura pelagica

Summer — spring arrival to early fallSeasonal

The take

The cigar with wings chittering over Charlotte rooftops all summer.

How to ID it

  • Cigar-shaped body with very long, narrow, curved wings and a short tapered tail.
  • Dark gray-brown all over, slightly paler at the throat; looks all black against the sky.
  • Flies almost constantly with stiff, rapid wingbeats and a high chattering call; clings to chimney walls rather than perching.

Field marks at a glance

Size
small
Head
dark gray-brown
Call
high hard chattering in flight

Where & when

Summer — spring arrival to early fall

Learn more

Sources