Molly Woodstock
Molly Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
Chapman Swift Watch
Join the month-long viewing party as thousands of birds migrate through Portland each September.
Molly Woodstock
Molly Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
Great blue herons, bald eagles and peregrine falcons are just few of the Rose City avian residents routinely spotted by visitors. But to really “put a bird” on a Portland memory, mark the calendar for September’s Chapman Swift Watch — the time of year when thousands of Vaux’s swifts drift through the city on their annual migration from Canada to Central and South America. The tiny birds spend their days hunting for insects and their evenings roosting, bat-like, in trees and chimneys.
The gathering is thought to be the largest group of migrating Vaux’s swifts on the planet.
The most popular perch is the towering smokestack of Chapman Elementary School in Northwest Portland, which attracts as many as 16,000 swifts looking for a place to hunker down for the evening. It’s plenty popular with spectators too: Each night at sunset, hundreds of onlookers flock to a nearby grassy bank and watch in awe as a shadowy cloud of birds swirls acrobatically for up to an hour before darting inside the craggy chimney for the night. (Onlookers also keep an eye out for hawks, raptors and other birds of prey, which sometimes add a dose of drama to the nightly ritual.)
Chapman Elementary School students have embraced the annual event, even electing to make the swift their official mascot. Volunteers from the Audubon Society of Portland are also on hand most nights to help educate the curious public.
Ready to join the swift watch? A quick Portland Streetcar ride from downtown takes visitors within a few blocks of the elementary school. If you do choose to visit, please be a good neighbor to Chapman-area residents by following the spectator tips provided by the Portland Audubon Society. Among them: Respect private property, use public transportation, and do not smoke, drink, litter or loiter on school property.
To catch all the avian action, plan to arrive at least half an hour before sunset — that’s about 8 p.m. near the start of September and 7 p.m. by the month’s end. Bring your binoculars, snacks, jackets and something comfy to sit on, and settle in for one of the city’s best free spectator events.
Upcoming Dates & Times
- Sept. 1
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