Customer Reviews

Chimney Swifts: America's Mysterious Birds above the Fireplace (Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series)

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5 years ago we built our house and the builder (thankfully) forgot to put on a chimney cap. That was when I discovered chimney swifts and have enjoyed them in our chinmeny every year. I've been starved for details about these wonderful friends. When I saw that Paul and Georgean Kyle had written a book I *knew* this would be the book to get. They were the first people I found on the internet when I started researching chimney swifs. Because they also do chimney swift rehabilitation, they have been up close and personal with chimney swifts for years. They really know their stuff. They track the chimney swift arrivals across the county each spring, and they host the "chimney swift night out" each fall. They are definitely the experts in my mind and this book is terrific. Throughout the book there are amazing close-up photographs and wonderful drawings to accompany the text. The writing is really enjoyable, like talking with a friend. A very fun, easy, and extremely informative read. I had a hard time putting the book down each night. They cover topics like swift social behavior, courting, nesting, nest building, hatchling development, flight/maneuvers, roosting behavior, migration times and destinations, etc. They also include excellent information on habitat and what we can do to help chimney swifts. Their population has been declining since the 80s and we need to help. There's info on building a chimney swift tower and more. This is a wonderful book that will teach you all about the life and times of chimney swifts and give you ideas for helping them survive into the future. Excellent book. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat and I'm so glad they wrote this book. It has given me so much insight and understanding into what's going on in our chimney. As I write this now, it's late April in Virginia and our swifts arrived just two weeks ago. I can hear them chittering in the chimney, no doubt discussing where to put their nest :).