For more than 30 years, Portlanders flocked to Chapman Elementary School each fall to watch thousands of Vaux’s swifts swirl across the sky before funneling into the school’s tall brick chimney at dusk. The spectacle became one of the city’s most beloved seasonal traditions, drawing families, birdwatchers, and curious newcomers alike.
But this year, the Chapman chimney is quiet. The swifts, it seems, have shifted their nightly roost to other corners of the city.
A New Chapter for Portland’s Swifts
While the Chapman site stands empty, conservationists emphasize that the swifts haven’t abandoned Portland altogether. Instead, they appear to be spreading out across multiple locations.
“What we’re seeing is more chimneys being used than in the past before Chapman, but smaller numbers of birds at those chimneys,” explained Joe Liebezeit, statewide conservation director for the Bird Alliance of Oregon…