Chimney Swifts: America's Mysterious Birds above the Fireplace.

CHIMNEY SWIFTS: America's Mysterious Birds above the Fireplace PAUL D. KYLE AND GEORGEAN Z. KYLE

Chimney swifts originally nested and roosted in hollow trees, but today they live almost exclusively in human-made structures. Changes to the way chimneys are being made are taking a toll on the birds' habitat, which covers most of the United States east of the Rockies. The authors run a chimney swift research station in Austin, Texas. Their book discusses research on the birds as well as the swifts' habitat at the station and elsewhere, their social lives, and nesting habits. Also included is a section on how best to accommodate these beneficial birds--their diet includes mosquitoes, flies, and termites--in your chimney or a chimneylike birdhouse. A frequently asked-questions section informs readers, for example, what to do if they find a fallen nest in their fireplaces. This book is the latest in the Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series. Texas A&M Univ. Press, 2005, 152 p., color and b&w photos and illus., paperback, $16.95.