Chimney swifts are birds that enjoy close contact with humans, often nesting in chimneys just above the fireplace. If you are lucky, you’ll hear their soft, chittering calls as they raise a family.

Just be sure you keep the damper closed while the birds are in residence.

Small birds with a slender body, chimney swifts use glue-like saliva to cement their nest to a chimney wall. Their feet are such that they cannot perch, but instead cling to the vertical walls inside chimneys or in hollow tr...