154: Chimney Swifts: The Birds That Almost Never Stop Flying 🐦

How long can a bird stay in the air without landing?This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're diving into the incredible world of the Chimney Swift—one of North America's most unique birds. These aerial specialists spend nearly their entire lives on the wing, eating, drinking, courting, and even collecting nesting material while flying. Outside of nesting and nighttime roosts, they rarely land at all.And when they finally do stop flying, they don't perch on branches like most birds. Instead, their long, specialized claws allow them to cling to the vertical walls of chimneys, hollow trees, caves, and other upright surfaces, making them unlike almost any other bird you'll encounter.Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to explore the remarkable adaptations that allow Chimney Swifts to live almost entirely in the sky. We discuss their migration, nesting behavior, conservation challenges, and why these fascinating birds have become so closely associated with human-made chimneys.Along the way, the conversation takes a few unexpected turns. We discuss how wildfire smoke can affect birds and bird migration, the impacts of climate change on wildlife, the surprising history behind bird's nest soup, and answer a follow-up listener mailbag question inspired by our recent Carolina Wren episode.Whether you're a lifelong birder or just discovering the incredible birds flying overhead every summer evening, this episode is full of fascinating bird science, ornithology, and plenty of fun detours.If you enjoy birding, birdwatching, bird behavior, bird migration, backyard birds, wildlife science, conservation, and nature podcasts, subscribe for new episodes every week.Topics covered:Chimney SwiftsBird flight adaptationsBird migrationNesting behaviorChimneys and vertical roostingWildfire smoke and birdsClimate changeBird's nest soupCarolina Wren mailbagOrnithology and bird conservationHere are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow:YouTube InstagramTikTokBlueSky