How to attract chimney swifts to your yard
Chimney Swifts respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 42 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 42, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and 36 more, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what chimney swifts use
These native plants are tied to the Chimney Swift in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 42 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
| Black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 41 | Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees. |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 39 | Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed. |
| White oak Quercus alba | Tree | 37 | Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food. |
| Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum | Shrub | 31 | Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 | Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers. |
| Spicebush Lindera benzoin | Shrub | 30 | Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 26 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 26 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 15 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, tree, perennial). Layering matters: mixing shrub, tree, perennial gives chimney swifts food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Aerial insects only.
- Warm months
- Flies, beetles, ants and aphids in flight
- Cold months
- Winters in the Amazon basin
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Half-cup of twigs glued with saliva inside chimneys.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 4–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 16–21 days
- Nestling period
- 28–30 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around April in Alabama but not until June in Wisconsin. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts chimney swifts to a yard?
Food they actually eat (), native plants such as American elderberry, Black cherry, Serviceberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: half-cup of twigs glued with saliva inside chimneys.
What plants attract chimney swifts?
Across the Chimney Swift's range, the native plants most often tied to it are American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), White oak (Quercus alba), Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting chimney swifts?
Nesting starts around April in Alabama and as late as June in Wisconsin. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Chimney Swift — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Chimney Swift life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Chimney Swift — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.