BIRDS OF NEW YORK 



171 



Chaetura pelagica (Linnaeus) 

 Chimney Swift 



Hirundo pelagica Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. 1758. 1:192 

 Chaetura pelasgia DeKay. Zool. of N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 35, fig. 58 

 Chaetura pelagica A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 200. No. 423 



chaetura, Gr., y.ai'rr,, bristle, and oupse, tail; pelagica, Lat., pelagic, marine, (without 

 evident application to this bird's habits) 



Description. Wings very long; tail short, square and the shafts pro- 

 jecting some distance beyond the vanes, as little sharp spines; beak short, 

 but the gape very extensive; feet 

 very short and small but the claws 

 sharp and curved; plumage dark 

 sooty in color; wings and tail darker, 

 throat and breast fading to a dull 

 grayish. 



Length 4.8-5.6 inches; extent 

 12.5; wing 4.95-5.25; tail 1.9-2. 



The Swift or Chimney " swal- 

 low " as it is commonly called, is 

 never seen perching on trees or 

 telegraph wires, but always flying 

 through the air. It may be recog- 

 nized by its general sooty coloration 

 and the rapid wheeling or flickering 

 flight alternating with occasional 

 soaring. His appearance in the air 

 has been aptly likened to a winged 

 cigar or a flying spruce cone. 



Distribution. The Chimney 

 swift inhabits eastern North America 

 from Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland south to the gulf and west 

 to the Great Plains, wintering south of the United States probably in 

 Central America. In New York State it is uniformly distributed and breeds 

 in every county. It is one of the dominant species which are very slightly 



Photo by Guy A. Bailey 

 Chimney swift with young 



