SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 
803 
use requires accessing the top of a chimney, they 
are cumbersome because ot their size and number 
of components (Bowman 1952), and installation 
is time-consuming for targeted captures (e.g.. a 
single bird). The use of chiinney-top traps has 
caused birds to abandon roost sites en masse 
(Zammulo and Franks 1979) suggesting this 
method is stressful for birds and has, in some 
cases, caused large-scale mortality events (up to 
225 individuals reported) among trapped birds 
(Worth 1940. Zammulo and Franks 1979). Worth 
1943) modified a chimney-top trap to be less 
cumbersome, but it still required overnight use to 
capture birds its they left the chimney in the 
morning. Fischer (1951) developed a method ol 
capturing Chimney Swifts singly throughout the 
day by scooping them into a tethered can while 
they roost. This method has been used with 
success in some studies (Dexter 1969, Ramsey 
1970. Zammuto and Franks 1979), but risks 
sinking, and potentially displacing, nestlings or 
the entire nest. 
Most studies of Chimney Swifts that used 
trapping and/or banding were conducted prior to 
1980. However, since completion ol the last large 
handing study (Dexter 1990). Chimney Swift 
populations have declined across their breeding 
range, and the species is designated as Threatened 
in Canada (COSEW 1C 2007). Thus, extra care 
must now he laken to ensure minimal disturbance 
to birds during research, which requires develop¬ 
ment of new capture methods. I describe a new 
trapping technique for catching indiv idual nesting 
Chimney Swifts with a focus on minimizing 
disturbance at the nest chimney, and improving 
speed and ease of trap placement. 
METHODS 
Study Area.—I conducted this study from May 
to August 2010 and 2011 in Guelph. Ontario. 
Canada (43 33' N. 80 15' W). Guelph has a 
large number of buildings built before the 20th 
century, as well as the University of Guelph, 
which has origins in the late ISOOs. The city is 
divided by the Speed and Eramosa rivers, the 
confluence of which is northeast ol downtown. 
I focused my study on an ~-8-km diameter area, 
centered on the downtown core (43 32 36 N, 
80 14' 53" W). that is characterized by mixed 
fcsidenlial/commercial land at the center, sui- 
rounded mainly by older (50+ years ol age) 
low-density housing and a small proportion ol 
institutional land. Chimney Swifts occur mainly in 
the downtown and university areas, where older 
buildings provide suitable nesting and roosting 
structures. 
Site Selection .—I selected chimneys from a list 
of previously identified nest sites from 2007 to 
2009 (M. D. Cadman, pers. comm.; Canadian 
Wildlife Service-Ontario). Initially. I monitored 
all chimneys used for nesting in past years, 
following a standardized protocol (Bird Studies 
Canada 2009). 1 gave priority to active chimneys 
deemed more accessible (flat roof, roof access 
from inside building, structurally sound chimney 
and roof). I contacted property owners to secure 
building access, and made an initial visit to those 
chimneys to record physical characteristics 
(height above roofline, internal and external 
length and width, material, color, number of 
flues), as well as to visually confirm the presence 
of a nest, when possible. Chimney color was 
defined as Might' (gray brick, stone, or cement; or 
clay-lined) or 'dark' (red or dark brown brick). 
Trapping .—I captured Chimney Swifts at their 
nest chimneys after eggs had hatched, ascertained 
by either direct observation of hatchlings in the 
nest, or by observation of trequent visits by adult 
swifts. I purposefully restricted trapping to this 
period lo ensure the birds were invested, decreas¬ 
ing the chance of nest abandonment (Fischer 
1958); nest abandonment instigated by researchers 
would have meant immediate cessation ol any 
trapping efforts, but nesting activity continued at 
all sites following trapping. Restricting trapping to 
this period also provided the benefit that adults 
would he making frequent visits to the nest to 
provision young, thus increasing trap success. I 
trapped swifts with a hoop net (Colvin and Hegdal 
1986). redesigned specifically for this purpose 
(Fig. 1). as they entered their nest chimney during 
daylight hours on fair weather days (no rain, 
Beaufort wind score s-3). 1 made the net from 
standard passerine mist-netting (38-mm mesh 
size) suspended in a l-nr frame wilh black fabric 
stretched between the frame and the opening of 
the net. which was 50 cm in diameter. The net was 
~ 1 m deep, and had a 15-cm diameter hoop (0.32- 
cm clear PVC tubing) and a weight (four 0.79 cm 
washers) at the bottom. 1 mounted the entire net 
assembly on a telescopic pole (1.83-5.49 m 
length) to facilitate placement at chimneys ot 
various heights. 
I placed the net (Fig. 2) after I observed a bird 
exiting a chimney, and kept it in place until the 
bird returned and was trapped, or a maximum ot 
