Sunday, October 4, 2026 / Eugene
Vaux’s swifts roost at Agate Hall chimney as fall migration peaks
Thousands of migrating swifts are funnelling into the historic University of Oregon brick chimney each evening, drawing community birders and conservation advocates.
As autumn settles across the Willamette Valley, one of Eugene’s most captivating natural rituals is reaching its high point. Each evening at sunset, thousands of Vaux’s swifts swirl in aerial vortexes before plunging into the historic brick chimney of the University of Oregon’s Agate Hall.
The swifts are on their annual southward migration from British Columbia to wintering habitats in Central and South America. Because swifts cannot perch on branches, they rely on rough hollow cavities—traditionally old-growth forest snags and now aging brick masonry—to cling vertically and roost for warmth. On peak September and October evenings, counts at Agate Hall have documented over 9,000 birds packing into the shaft.
The spectacle has also fostered community. Local gatherings organized by Lane County Queer Birders, founded by Amy Sherman, and the Coast to Cascade Bird Alliance (formerly the Lane Audubon Society, led by Debbie Schlenoff) gather regularly in the parking lot to witness the birds and advocate for protecting critical roosting structures across Lane County.
Field notes
What changed: Peak fall migration has brought thousands of Vaux’s swifts nightly to roost inside the historic Agate Hall brick chimney on the University of Oregon campus.
Why it matters: With mature forest snags dwindling, preserved brick chimneys provide irreplaceable stopover roosts along the Pacific flyway.
Who may be affected: Birders, students, conservationists, and nature lovers across Eugene-Springfield.