Can you tell which picture is of Chimney Swifts and which is of Purple Martins?  Hint: the chimney is a clue.  Need tips? Join us for the Swift Night Out(s) & Purple Martin Roost Watch.

 

13th Birdhouse Exhibit
Reception & Auction Finale
Sunday, July 31st
from 2:00 to 4:00
The Arboretum Visitor Center
(auction ends at 3:30)

Originally called the "American Swallow" by Catesby and the "Chimney Swallow" by Audubon, this small sooty gray aerial acrobat was known as a swallow until 1825 when ornithologists reassigned it to the genus Chaetura. Swifts have adapted well to life with humans, moving into man-made structures like chimneys as substitutes for hard-to-find hollow trees. Swifts cannot perch upright, instead either clinging to surfaces or living on the wing. They eat mostly insects, mate for life, and raise 4-5 young each year. Chimney Swifts has a concern score of 12 in the State of the Birds report, the edge of the Watch List. They have lost habitat as people cap chimneys or build houses without fireplaces.

State of the Birds 2016
 

The State of North America's Birds 2016 report looked at the conservation status of 1,154 native bird species that breed in the continental U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Every bird species was assessed throughout its range and annual cycle. The assessment employs biological criteria to evaluate distinct components of vulnerability, including population size, distri- bution, threats and population trend. The end result is a thorough report which can help guide conservation initiatives in the years to come. Of the 1,154 species considered, 432 hit the Watch List, meaning they had concern scores of 14 or higher qualified or had a score of 13 coupled with a sharply declining population. CKAS is  dissecting this list to determine which species our efforts can best help, right here in Kentucky.

Help support CKAS by shopping like you normally do!  Kroger gives millions of dollars to Kentucky non-profits through its Community Rewards® Program. If you shop at Kroger and have a Kroger Rewards® card, you can help us qualify for these funds by linking your Kroger Rewards® card to the Central Kentucky Audubon Society under the Community Rewards section of your Account Settings. Doing so will not affect the way you accrue fuel points in any way; you still keep all your rewards and gas savings. But your points will also count as our points, helping us to a bigger share of Kroger's charitable donations. Check the bottom of your Kroger receipt  for: "At your request we are donating to Central Kentucky Audubon Society."

What if you don't receive Audubon Magazine?
Then you're probably not an official member of the
National Audubon Society.
You can join for $20 annually through CKAS (& help support CKAS by doing so) by following the instructions and link on the CKAS web page.