Chimney Swifts in Pennsylvania
When chimney swifts are present in Pennsylvania, when they nest, which native Pennsylvania plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.
- Status in Pennsylvania
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- May–July
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5a–7b
When to expect chimney swifts in Pennsylvania
Chimney Swifts are summer residents in Pennsylvania, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on flies, beetles, ants and aphids in flight.
Humid continental; cold, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.
Nesting in Pennsylvania
Across Pennsylvania, chimney swifts typically nest from May–July. Nest site: half-cup of twigs glued with saliva inside chimneys. Females lay 4–5 eggs, incubate for 16–21 days, and young leave the nest after 28–30 days.
Warm summers; bluebirds typically raise two broods.
- Chimney Swifts don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, white oak, flowering dogwood for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Pennsylvania plants that attract chimney swifts
Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover chimney swifts use:
Summer fruit and a major caterpillar host.
Acorns and insects.
Fall seed.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Feeding chimney swifts through the Pennsylvania year
Leave an uncapped masonry chimney open April–October, or build a swift tower; populations have fallen by roughly two-thirds since 1966.
- Best foods: .
- In Pennsylvania's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.
Frequently asked
Are chimney swifts in Pennsylvania year-round?
No. Chimney Swifts are summer breeders in Pennsylvania and leave for the winter.
When do chimney swifts nest in Pennsylvania?
Nesting in Pennsylvania typically runs May–July, with 1 per season. Clutches are 4–5 eggs, incubated for 16–21 days.
What native plants attract chimney swifts in Pennsylvania?
Black cherry, White oak, New England aster, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, Bur oak, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Pennsylvania that provide food or cover for chimney swifts.
Chimney Swifts in other regions
Other backyard birds in Pennsylvania
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
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Pennsylvania
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- 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.