The “flying cigar” silhouette of the Chimney Swift is a common sight all summer in the skies over eastern cities and towns. Be sure to keep an ear out for their distinctive, high-pitched chattering calls—they often call on the wing while foraging. During migration, thousands of swifts roost together in chimneys, funneling into them at dusk in spectacular tornado-like flocks. This enigmatic little bird spends almost its entire life airborne. When it lands, it can’t perch—it clings to vertical walls inside chimneys or in hollow trees or caves. This species has suffered sharp declines as chimneys fall into disuse across the continent.
Another Eagle Project, the chimney swifts were seen very near this tower within a month of the tower's completion.