Barn Swallows
The barn swallow is a beautiful bird that has a long, deeply forked tail and dark blue plumage on its back, and rust on its throat, breast and abdomen. Barn swallows migrate from South America in the spring. They get their name from the fact that they often nest in barns. They eat a lot of insects, so they are good to have around.
Look up and around—do you see a nest? What is it made of? Do you see birds fly in and out?
Four basic conditions are found near most barn swallow nest sites. Can you find them here?
(1) an open habitat for foraging,
(2) a suitable surface for nest attachment beneath an overhang or ledge,
(3) a supply of mud of the proper consistency for nest building, and
(4) a body of fresh water for drinking.
Go to the far side of the bridge underpass. Do you see any swallows flying? How can you tell them apart from other birds?
Can you guess what the swallows doing? (when they swoop up and down, they are catching bugs!)
Look around—do you see any other birds? (Red-tailed hawks hang out there—maybe we’ll get lucky ; >)
The swallows lay eggs and raise their young in the spring. They are getting ready to fly back to South America now.