Five Chimney Swift towers were erected in 2026 in Area 2 at Lums Pond State Park

In the new edition of the Species of Greatest Conservation Need, an accounting by the Division of Fish and Wildlife at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, six categories of species found in Delaware were addressed. Each species was ranked according to the perceived urgency of its need for protection. In the category of Bird Species, the Chimney Swift was elevated from its 2015 ranking of Tier 2, to Tier 1, the level of highest concern.

Chimney Swifts are declining for a number of reasons, primarily due to a decline in the number of nesting sites. According to a National Audubon report, chimney capping and a large-scale switch to alternate sources of heat for new construction have deprived Chimney Swifts of their customary nesting habitat — open chimneys.

One option for providing nesting habitat for the species is to construct artifical chimney-like structures, like the five at Lums Pond. The Chimney Swift Conservation Association provides information on the construction of these nesting structures. Plans for an 8 foot tall towere are available online.