19 September 2011

Renovation Destroys Swift Habitat

Renovation of historic apartments in Omaha has destroyed chimneys useful for Chimney Swifts.

The Canterbury Apartments at Park Avenue and Leavenworth Street are being renovated from their former dilapidated condition. Additional apartment houses in the same vicinity are going through the same process.

One of the first construction activities at the Canterbury was to provide a new roof on the buildings. When this was done, all of the chimneys were removed.

An earlier story pondered the fate of these buildings. The buildings will remain but their best features have been obliterated.

The south Canterbury Apartment house shown without its once prominent chimneys.

Other Destruction

Another building with a fine chimney has been razed. It had been present since 1900, providing a useful haven for 111 years. Since it had been abandoned and was completely unkempt, it was simply removed. There was just one chimney, but the loss of just one decreases the options available for the swifts, and continues the trend of continual decline in the only habitat - chimneys - used by the little, black bugeaters.

Swift habitat recently destroyed.