THE CHIMNEY SWIFT GOES CONDO IN NEW TOWERS.

The National Audubon Society, Audubon New York and New York City Audubon recently worked with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to build Chimney Swift towers as a means of laying out the welcome mat for this fast declining migratory bird. You'd appreciate a welcoming home too if you had just flown all the way up from Chile.

The towers have been erected in three State Parks in New York City—Clay Pit Ponds State Park in Staten Island, East River State Park in Brooklyn, and Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx—in an effort to provide nesting places for the Chimney Swift and honor the legacy of Geoffrey Cobb Ryan, a dedicated conservationist.

Swifts commonly nest in hollow trees; as the city's trees were replaced by buildings, the clever birds adapted and made their homes in chimneys. Yet fireplaces aren't so commonly used these days, and as such most of our chimneys have been sealed up, leaving fewer places for the Chimney swift to hole up. That's why these towers—picture birdhouses that are 12 feet tall—are such a boon to the community. Tours of the towers are available upon request by New York City Audubon at 212-691-7483.