DON'T TOUCH THAT BIRD: CHIMNEY SWIFT REMOVAL A MAJOR ORDEAL

Veronica Swingle, 6, got to see a chimney swift that she had only heard in the chimney of her family's home in Cape Girardeau.

A chimney swift may fly as many as 135,000 miles every year, but three of the small, sooty-gray birds had to be escorted only 100 miles Thursday afternoon.

The three chimney swifts were transported to the Wildbird Rehabilitation Center at Crestwood, Mo., a federally licensed rehabilitation center.

It was done in an agreement made by the Morley Swingle family and the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before a permit was issued to remove the critters from the chimney of the Swingle home.

Chimney swifts, natives of the Amazon region of South America, create problems in North America because their favorite nesting place is inside an open chimney. Families who discover evidence of the birds in their flue usually want the birds removed immediately.

This is where controversy sets in.

"We'd been hearing chirping and noises in our chimney the past few weeks," said Candace Swingle. "Three days ago one of our children opened the flue, and more than a gallon of broken eggshells and bird dung poured out on the living room floor in a cloud of dust with a pungent smell."

Chimney sweeps verified the chimney had chimney swifts.

The chimney sweeps also told the Swingles they would have to get permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to move the trespassing birds. Under no circumstances can a sweep remove an occupied nest without a permit.

The chimney swift, like most birds, is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918. According to the law, neither the bird nor its nest may be removed from the chimney during the nesting season without special permission.

The chimney swift spends all day flying about catching insects and only returns to the chimney at dark.

"We would often see the birds hovering over our chimney," said Olivia Swingle, 13. "They would circle for a while, then enter the chimney."

"It was exciting for a while," said the Swingles' younger daughter Veronica, 6. "But the noise got tiresome."

To obtain the permit, the Swingles had to fill out a two-page form, answering a number of questions on the second page seeking information on the type of birds involved, who would remove the birds and how they would be removed, and other questions.

The Swingles also agreed to transport all birds and, or eggs to a federally licensed rehabilitation center.

"I didn't want to kill these birds," said Candace Swingle. "I just didn't want them for roommates in our home."

Everyone was very cooperative with us concerning the permit, she said.

Toby Tuggle of Cape Chimney Sweep was given authorization to conduct the activity.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service experts said chimney swifts usually flock together and then enter their roosts. Up to an hour or more before sunset the birds may begin to gather, giving their chitter-calls. Often they arrive at the roost in a long, drawn-out formation, but once there circle around it.

This may continue for over 45 minutes before the birds start to enter the roost. Even when they are in the roost their chitter-calls can be heard for several minutes. The next morning the birds leave abruptly and without ceremony.

One wildlife official said the birds look like "cigars with wings."

Wildlife officials say the nests and birds can be a fire safety problem. Another hazard posed through direct contact with the birds' feces, is histoplasmosis, a disease that attacks the respiratory system. Chimney sweeps normally use a special suit and respirator when removing the birds.