At the moment, this bird is stuck inside our Solar Room.
Obviously, neither the bird nor we are at all happy.

It somehow got in on the 3rd, but we now can't get it to go back out. We've tried to leave the doors open (when we're around) in hopes it will leave on its own, BUT this bird seems to be too dumb to find an open door. We've chased it with a broom toward the open doors, but it only flies away from the way out. I'm not sure how it got into the Solar Room in the first place. To keep bugs and birds out, we've been very cautious in recent years about keeping the screen doors shut, except for when we have to go in or out of the house. Having had "visiting birds" in the past, we're now super cautious. No one saw this bird sneak in with us or the dogs. It's pretty big to "sneak" anywhere. I'm not even sure if a door was how it got in. Maybe there is a hole somewhere, and the bird came down from the attic. We recently had all our insulation replaced.

Meanwhile, unlike other bird visitors we've ever had, this bird is leaving a mess behind. Ugh!!! Besides pooping and requiring continuous clean up, it's also knocking the plaster off our high vaulted ceiling. What a mess. Its poop is becoming less frequent and is now green. So, the poor thing is probably suffering from dehydration after all these days. Luckily, there are no soft goods in the Solar Room. So, everything (besides the plants) can be Cloroxed. We're now constantly doing that.

Still... I really would like to get it out of the Solar Room before it dies from starvation or dehydration. However, I'm not going to provide it with food or water because then, it would probably have no incentive to ever try to leave. As destructive as it's been, it sure can't live in our home forever!!! The best outcome to this unpleasant situation would be for it to stay alive and leave on its own. Unfortunately, as each day passes, the odds of the best outcome become slimmer and slimmer. I've never before experienced a situation like this. Perhaps, it's time to call in Critter Control. However, they never seem to come out for less than a couple of thousand dollars. It's always been more. That's a lot of money. Birds also will usually find their way out of an open door. This one has repeatedly been given that chance. We've never had a bird before that couldn't leave on its own. For whatever reason, this one refuses. I'm also afraid that having to leave the door open will now invite other birds into the Solar Room. And we sure don't want that!!! Earlier in the season, there was a Carolina Wren couple that had a strong desire to nest inside. They kept waiting in front of the one door (hoping the door would open) with nesting material.

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Unlike other bird visitors we've had, this one has never landed on or paid any attention to the plants. It won't sit on a branch. Instead, it clings to the walls or the ceiling. Thus, all the damage. This Swift is as big or bigger than a robin with a very tiny head and beak. The underside seems to be the same brown tones as the back. I'd never seen another bird just like this. And until Carl came to the rescue, I would never have thought about looking for an ID in the Swift family. In my mind's eye, Swifts are birds always in flight. Seeing one sitting still is definitely an oddity.

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We seem to get the oddest critters around here. I call this Chimney Swift a "squatter" because, according to Tom and Hank and what I've since read, this bird is federally protected and should be "left to do whatever it does".

At the current time, it seems to want to stay inside our house. An open door (for it to exit) holds no interest for it. I'm sure the above bird is the only one in our house, and not part of a mated pair. There is no place for it to nest; so, it being in the Solar Room makes no sense. Nevertheless, we had our tall, mature maple trees (against the house) severely pruned back last Fall. Perhaps in past years, the top of those might have been host to a nesting pair. I can only guess why this lone one has now decided to find a way into our house.

I've never seen a Chimney Swift "perched" in real life before. Odds are that this is one that somehow got separated during migration and accidently ended up in our house by chance. A problem for both us and for the bird.

Although separate from the main living and sleeping areas, the Solar Room is a part of interior of our home. It's NOT a bird refuge!!! What's with birds loving our Solar Room so much??? Other people with Sunrooms full of house plants don't seem to have these same problems.