during the breeding season, at least half of the chimney swift's forays occur within of its nest; however, it ranges up to away. while most of its food is seized following aerial pursuit, some is gleaned from the foliage of trees; the bird hovers near the ends of branches or drops through upper canopy levels. the chimney swift generally flies quite high, though it descends during cold or rainy weather. when feeding, it regularly occurs in small groups, and sometimes hunts with swallows, particularly barn swallows and purple martins; in mixed-species flocks, it is typically among the lower fliers. there is at least one record of a chimney swift attempting to steal a dragonfly from a purple martin, and it has been observed chasing other purple martins. in general, it is a diurnal feeder which remains active into early evening. however, there are records, particularly during migration periods, of chimney swifts feeding well after dark over brightly lit buildings.