Sep 14, 2023 - Culture
Where Vaux's swifts go after visiting Portland
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Portland is just one stop on the journey south for the Vaux's swift — the city's beloved narrow-winged, bat-like migratory bird that calls the chimney of Chapman Elementary home throughout September.
We wanted to know: Where do they go from here?
The intrigue: After roosting in Portland chimneys for two to three weeks, the swifts make their way down the West Coast, arriving in Mexico by November.
- Large populations of swifts can be found in Mexico City and Cancun in the winter months until they head back north in the spring.
So next time you're on vacation down south escaping the near-constant gray of the Pacific Northwest, keep an eye out for a fellow snowbird.