Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 12

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Protection

In the United States and Canada, the Chimney Swift is protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, which prohibits the hunting, possession and/or sale of migratory birds and their disturbance during the breeding period. The Chimney Swift is not considered threatened or endangered as it does not appear on the World Conservation Union’s list (IUCN 1996), the Canadian endangered species list (Government of Canada 2004), the US Endangered Species Act List (US Fish and Wildlife Service 2000) or any provincial lists. The Chimney Swift is considered a Moderate Priority Species on the Partners in Flight Watchlist, as one of 90 species ranked in the highest tiers of conservation concern (Carter et al. 1996).

The Chimney Swift does not receive any known form of protection in its winter range. Stotz et al. (1996) believe that the conservation priority for this species is low in the Neotropics. However these authors acknowledge the fact that their wintering range and habitat preference are poorly known, which is why the Chimney Swift is also classified at a medium level of research priority.