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Swift flocks return: Oregon chimneys await.
8 Sep
Summary
- Vaux's swifts begin their southward migration and roosting in Oregon.
- Roosting locations have shifted, with Abernration Elementary now a site.
- Advisories issued: give birds space, keep voices down, avoid drones.
As cooler, fall-like weather arrives, Vaux's swifts have begun their annual southward migration, once again choosing Oregon area chimneys for their roosting needs. These birds were observed in the Medford area during the first weekend of September 2026.
The preferred roosting sites for Vaux's swifts around Portland have seen changes in recent years. Chapman Elementary School, once a primary gathering spot for as many as 35,000 birds according to the Bird Alliance of Oregon, remains a potential location for this year's roost.
However, the swifts have also been documented at new sites, with KOIN 6 News capturing footage of them roosting at Abernration Elementary School in 2025. Beyond school buildings, the large chimneys of churches and individual homes are also becoming potential resting places for these migrating birds as they pass through the Pacific Northwest.
