How to Get Birds out of Your Chimney

Birds sometimes get stuck in chimneys by accident. Luckily, there are several ways you can get a bird out of your chimney. 

In this article, we’ll cover 6 ways to get a bird out of your chimney. We’ve listed these based on the amount of effort involved, such as making a loud noise to scare the bird out or trapping the bird with a box or an old towel.

Worth noting: 

• The bird stuck in your chimney is even more panicked than you are. 
• If you can’t get the bird out of your chimney, you can call a wildlife removal expert.

1. Light the Way Out

If you’ve noticed signs of birds nesting in your chimney, such as scratching or chirping noises, one way to help the trapped bird is by shining a flashlight up the chimney to signal an exit. 

You can leave the flashlight near the bottom of the chimney so the bird can see the light and be drawn toward it. 

The key is to make the entryway as bright as possible and to darken the rest of the house to help guide the bird to where it needs to go.

Tip: Brooms are a handy herding tool to direct and nudge the bird toward the exit.

2. Make a Loud Noise

Sometimes, simply making a loud noise is enough to scare a bird out of the chimney. Yell loudly or bang pots and pans to create a loud noise to frighten the bird out of your chimney.

Another noise-maker you can try is an ultrasonic noise emitter. Sound emitters operate on a frequency that only birds can hear. Such noise is designed to scare off birds, which makes it just the thing for chasing birds out of your chimney.

3. Let the Bird out via a Door or Window

Dark, poorly lit chimneys are disconcerting for birds and make it difficult for them to locate the exit. If the bird seems unable to escape from the chimney entrance, it may have to flee your home through a door or window.

To help out the bird, here are ways you can make an exit point visible:

• Open a door or window so the bird can fly outside.
• Turn off interior lights.
• Pull shades or blinds over any unopened windows.
• If it’s nighttime, turn on the patio or outside lights to make the outdoors more visible.
• Use a flashlight to direct the bird toward the exit.

4. Trap the Bird

If lighting the way out or making loud noises doesn’t work, you can lend a helping hand by capturing the bird with a box and taking it outside. 

Trapping a bird can be difficult, but if you want to save a frustrated bird from helplessly scrabbling for an escape route in your chimney, here’s what to do:

1. Open the fireplace damper.
2. Use a box to cover up the fireplace entryway.
3. Place a flashlight at the bottom of the box and turn it on.
4. As you wait for the bird to enter the box, stay quiet and silence any noise-making devices. Remove any pets from the room if they are loud or likely to scare the bird.
5. When the bird enters the box, slide a lid over the top to trap the bird inside.
6. Take the box outside, keeping the lid firmly secured. Move slowly and carefully when transporting the bird.
7. Once outside, open the box and let the bird escape into the outdoors.

Alternatively, you can try to capture the bird with an old towel.

1. With a towel in hand, slowly and quietly approach the bird. Try to appear as unthreatening as possible. 
2. When you are close enough to the bird, gently toss the towel over it. 
3. After loosely wrapping the bird in the towel, you can carry it outside.
4. Once you are outdoors and several paces away from any entrance into your house, unwrap the bird and step back. The bird can take flight from there.

5. Call Wildlife Removal

If you aren’t comfortable with removing a trapped bird from your chimney, don’t. Instead, call animal control, and they can direct you to a professional animal rehabilitator.

It’s not legally permitted for homeowners to remove nesting birds, so you must call a licensed professional to safely remove a nesting family of birds. 

Oftentimes, regular chimney sweep services may not have the necessary license to remove these protected birds, so you’re better off calling a wildlife removal company.

Trained professionals know what they’re doing, and they can safely remove a bird. 

Typically, a bird can’t last much longer than two to seven days stuck in a chimney. If you find a dead bird in your chimney, the best thing to do is to call a professional animal removal agency. 

Bird carcasses often carry diseases or parasites, so never touch a dead bird with your bare hands.

6. Wait It Out

If you can handle the chirping and flapping noises, you might want to wait it out to see if the bird leaves on its own. Here are some reasons why homeowners might want to leave a bird be:

• A special bird has taken up residence: Some birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 because they are losing their natural habitat to deforestation.
• Nesting birds are temporary visitors that only stay during the warm months.
• Birds are a source of pest control since they love to snack on insects.

Although the noise of birds nesting in your chimney can be a nuisance, they are temporary guests who will eventually leave when the nesting period ends. Nesting birds usually leave around 41 to 66 days once the baby birds have grown enough to leave the nest.

Baby birds should be able to make it out of the chimney on their own, but if they are unable to escape your chimney, you may have to help them. Otherwise, call your local wildlife control for professional assistance.

Remember: Do not start a fire if birds are trapped or nesting in your chimney. It is inhumane and cruel to light a fire in the fireplace where a bird is present as it might kill the bird. 

Get Rid of the Bird in Your Chimney, Then Keep Birds Out

There are many reasons you don’t want a bird as a house guest: Birds are noisy, they make a mess, and they pose health risks to you and your family. 

Don’t wait to get rid of the bird trapped in your chimney. Find a wildlife control professional to help you get your bird friend safely removed from your chimney. 

Main Photo Credit: In Memoriam: Andy / Andrew Fogg / Flickr / CC BY 2.0