Hundreds of Vaux's swifts are swirling into a downtown Oregon City chimney each evening, giving residents a free wildlife show near Seventh and Main streets through late September.
The tiny migrating birds, each barely five inches long, gather above the old brick chimney at dusk before funneling inside to roost for the night. Here Is Oregon reported the swifts have settled on the downtown Oregon City chimney as one of several smaller roost sites across the Portland metro area.
The best views are from street level near Seventh and Main or from the patio at Arch Bridge Taphouse, according to Oregon City Patch.
Willamette University biology professor David Craig, who studies the species, told the Statesman Journal that swifts at roost sites across the region typically begin forming swirling flocks about 30 minutes before sunset and start dropping into the chimney roughly 10 minutes after sunset. A flock may stay at a given roost for one to three days depending on weather and food supply before moving on.
The Oregon City roost comes two years after the swifts abandoned their famous longtime home at Chapman Elementary School in Northwest Portland. Numbers at Chapman plummeted in September 2024, and by Sept. 18, 2024, the birds were gone, Portland Monthly reported.
Candace Larson of the Bird Alliance of Oregon told KATU on Sept. 8 that experts examined predation, harassment, drones and structural changes but found no single convincing explanation for the departure. "It may have been a combination of pressures," Larson said.
Since leaving Chapman, the swifts have scattered among chimneys across the metro area. Vaux's swifts (the name rhymes with "boxes") cannot perch on branches or walk on the ground. They cling to vertical surfaces using their stiff tails, and they switched from hollow old-growth trees to brick chimneys as logging and development shrank their historic habitat.
The Bird Alliance of Oregon asks spectators to keep streets and sidewalks clear, respect private property and avoid flying drones near the birds. September is the peak month for the fall migration, which runs from late August to early October as the swifts head toward Central America.
Upcoming community events:
- Wednesday, Sept. 16: Small Farm School, Clackamas Community College Horticulture Department, 19600 Molalla Ave., Oregon City, 8 a.m.
