Vaux's Swifts at Chapman School

Tens of thousands of tiny birds swarm into one school chimney every fall

Category Fascinating Fauna

Vaux's Swifts, small insect-eating birds sometimes described as "cigars with wings", migrate south en-mass each year, roosting as they travel in hollowed trees and industrial chimneys.

Since the mid 1990s, the Swifts have roosted each September in the chimney of Chapman School in NW Portland, Oregon. Each year hundreds of onlookers gather on the lawn of Chapman school, from about an hour before sunset to about a half hour after, to watch the Swifts gather, organize, perform aerial maneuvers, and finally funnel in a black fluttering cloud into the chimney to roost.

See an error? Know more? Edit this place.

  • Hours 7 days a week, 6pm-9pm
  • Address NW Pettygrove and 25th Sts, Portland, Oregon, United States
  • Cost Free
Map/Directions

Go to Google Maps

Easy to find location in NW Portland, map it or ask the locals.

Post a Comment

to comment. Use your Facebook account to login instantly. Anonymous comments will be held in moderation.

Enter the Captcha code below to confirm you're human:
Captcha Image

Elsewhere on the Web