Meet at Armory Sports and Recreation Center

6:30 p.m. to ~8:00 p.m.

Contact: Joanna and Eric Reuter, birds@ozarkoutsider.com

Join us to watch for Chimney Swift roosting activity during fall migration while also exploring the architecture of downtown Columbia from the perspective of swifts. These fascinating birds use open chimneys as overnight roost sites, and on an active night, roost entry can be a real spectacle.

The walk is timed to arrive around sunset at a site likely to host considerable swift activity, with the hope of experiencing an impressive show. Sometimes hundreds of swifts gather, circle, and enter a chimney. Each night is unique, and patterns of building use can change in unexpected ways, so each watch includes an element of uncertainty and surprise.

Ten buildings in and near downtown Columbia have chimneys that are known to have served as Chimney Swift roost sites in the past year. Trip leaders Eric & Joanna Reuter will discuss the surprising behavioral complexity of these birds, and we plan to lead a walk past a few of the chimneys to admire their architectural similarities and differences.

Meet at the Armory Sports and Recreation Center at 6:30 p.m. The Armory’s permit-only parking rules are not enforced after 6 p.m., according to on-site signage. Metered parking and city garages are also free after 6 p.m.

The final choice of viewing site will be made within a day of the trip. Total round trip walking distance will likely be ~1 mile on city streets. Sunset is 7:12 p.m. on September 18, 2025. We’ll return to the starting point by 8:00 p.m. Bring binoculars if you have them.

In the event of a forecast for severely inclement weather, check the Columbia Audubon Society website for trip status/postponement information after noon on the day of the event.

This walk is co-sponsored by US Fish & Wildlife Service.

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Feel free to review the CAS field trip guidelines for participants and leaders!