Bird Stuck in a Chimney? How Long It Can Last and What to Do

There is no fixed time. A bird trapped in a chimney may live for a day or two, but without water, food or room to fly it weakens steadily and is unlikely to survive more than a few days. Act quickly: the RSPCA advises taking a bird that has been stuck for several hours to a vet.

Two pigeons perched on top of an orange brick chimney stack

How long a trapped bird can last

No study has timed how long birds survive in chimneys, and it varies with the species, the weather and whether the bird is hurt. In a laboratory study by Arad and colleagues (1989) (opens in new tab), pigeons kept without water for 48 hours and then exposed to heat lost 16 to 18% of their body weight, yet recovered once they could drink. A bird in a chimney has the added strain of struggling in a narrow, sooty flue, often with damaged feathers or eyes.

The RSPCA says not to release a bird yourself if it seems dazed, has been trapped for a number of hours, looks injured, for example with a damaged wing or soot in its eyes, or is a young bird. Take it to a vet instead (RSPCA (opens in new tab)). If you find an injured pigeon once it is out, see what to do if you find an injured pigeon.

Never light a fire to drive a bird out. It can kill the bird, and a nest or blockage in the flue can stop smoke and carbon monoxide escaping or catch fire. HETAS (opens in new tab), the UK body for solid-fuel heating, warns that blocked chimneys can send dangerous gases back into the room.

Signs there is a bird in your chimney

Scratching, flapping or calling from inside the chimney breast.
Soot, twigs or feathers falling into the fireplace or stove.
Birds often perched on the top of the chimney. HETAS lists this, along with frequent scratching, as a sign that birds may be nesting there.
A bad smell when no fire has been lit, which can mean a dead bird or old nest.

In the UK, jackdaws often use chimneys. The RSPB says they nest in holes and cavities, including chimneys, usually from April to June (RSPB jackdaw guide (opens in new tab)). Feral pigeons usually nest on ledges and in sheltered corners of buildings (see where pigeons build their nests).

How to help a bird out of a chimney

Bird stuck in a chimney: do and don’t

If the bird is still in the chimney, open the windows and outside doors in the room, pull back the curtains and leave the room.
If it has come down into the room, give it one way out: leave one window or door open, turn off the lights and draw the curtains over closed windows.
Put a torch at the bottom of the chimney, pointing at the floor rather than up at the bird.
Leave the room quiet and check from outside it for up to two hours.
Release a lively, alert, fully feathered adult outdoors during the day.
Call a vet if the bird is dazed, injured, has soot in its eyes, is young or has been stuck for hours.

Don’t

Light a fire or use smoke to drive it out.
Throw a towel or blanket over a bird that is flying about.
Remove or disturb a nest that is in use.
Take out a gas fire or open up a sealed chimney yourself.
Leave it until tomorrow if you can hear it struggling.

Based on RSPCA advice for birds trapped in chimneys.

If the bird is behind a boarded-up fireplace or a sealed chimney, the RSPCA says to contact a professional such as a builder, because its inspectors are not trained or equipped for this. A bird behind a gas fire needs a Gas Safe registered engineer to disconnect the appliance. In the UK you can call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8960 for advice if a pigeon is stuck in a chimney and it is not safe to free it yourself (RSPCA pigeon advice (opens in new tab)).

If birds are nesting in your chimney

Leave them alone. Wild birds, their eggs and their young are protected by law, and some birds raise more than one brood a year, so a nest may still be in use even after you have seen birds leave it (RSPCA (opens in new tab)). Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to take, damage or destroy the nest of a wild bird while it is in use or being built, and the RSPB (opens in new tab) advises not lighting fires while a nest is active. Outside the UK the law differs, so check with your local wildlife authority before you touch a nest.

How to stop birds getting into your chimney

Once the nest has been abandoned, have a professional fit a wire mesh guard or cowl to the top of the chimney, which the RSPCA describes as the usual method. A sweep can clear old nesting material at the same time. HETAS recommends sweeping just before the heating season and, if you burn wood, at least twice a year. It records 3,243 chimney fires in England, Wales and Scotland between March 2022 and April 2023.

For keeping pigeons off the rest of the house, see how to keep pigeons away.

Brick chimney fitted with metal mesh caps to keep birds out

Birds in chimneys: FAQs

How long can a bird survive stuck in a chimney?

There is no fixed time. Without water a trapped bird weakens over a day or two and is unlikely to last more than a few days, so act as soon as you hear it.

Will a bird in a chimney find its way out?

Sometimes. Birds that come down into a room fly towards the brightest light, so open one window or door, darken the rest of the room and leave it quiet for up to two hours.

Can I light a fire to get a bird out of my chimney?

No. It can kill the bird, and a nest or blockage can set the chimney alight or send smoke and carbon monoxide into the room.

Who do I call about a bird stuck in my chimney?

A chimney sweep can often help. For a sealed chimney call a builder, for a gas fire a Gas Safe engineer, and take an injured bird to a vet. In the UK the RSPCA gives advice on 0300 123 8960.

Is it illegal to remove a bird’s nest from a chimney?

In the UK, yes, while the nest is in use or being built. Wait until the birds have gone, then fit a mesh guard or cowl.

Sources

References used for this page:

Last updated 11 November 2026 · Problems