Steps are being taken to ensure an endangered species of bird living inside the chimney of an old building in Truro, N.S. can still call it home.

Truro’s Normal College stood as an institution of higher learning for more than 100 years. Now it’s part of a $2.7 million renovation project that will see it become the new regional library.

But planners didn’t realize a small colony of chimney swifts have been roosting inside the chimney for years.

“It was brought to our attention that the birds were there, that they are an endangered species in Nova Scotia – they’re threatened in Canada but endangered in Nova Scotia – and it was brought to our attention that we should make some efforts to try and save the birds if possible,” says Jason Fox, planning director for the Town of Truro.

The population of chimney swifts is estimated to have dropped by 95 per cent in Canada over the last 50 years. The birds are small and they don’t perch or land during the day. At night, they spin and fly into old chimneys.

Bird Studies Canada is assisting the Town of Truro in its efforts to save the birds’ home.

“The decision was made to save the old chimney, but we were going to build a new chimney next to the old one, so there was an additional cost to the project because we had to put a new chimney in and preserve the old one and structurally, we had to make it sound,” says Fox.

Dr. Helene Van Doninck of the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre says it’s important to protect the colony of several hundred birds.

“Considering they’re an endangered species, it’s important to preserve anything that they’ve chosen,” says Van Doninck. “They’re fussy little things and they only like certain types of habitats, so it’s important to preserve that.”

Library staff say they’re pleased to share the space with an endangered species during the spring and summer.

“The more I read about them, the more I found out they’re really quite fascinating creatures, and I think there’s going to be some opportunity for us to incorporate their presence in the building, as basically our tenants in a way,” says library services administrator Lesley Brann. “We’re going to be able to incorporate that into library programs.”

Fox says staff and equipment from the old library should be able to move into the newly constructed building by next spring.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh