Swallows: The Early Spring Migrants

The earliest of the spring migrants, birds returning from Central and South America, include a few birds of the swallow family. Purple Martins, Tree, Barn, Cliff, and Rough-winged swallows are some of the earliest to return to middle TN. A recent outing on the Harpeth River revealed several Cliff swallows feeding over the water and flying up and straight into the amazing gourd-like mud nest they build on bridges.

Cliff Swallows have broad, pointed wings, a metallic dark blue back, pale cinnamon colored rumps, and rusty brown faces with a white patch on the forehead. 

Like Barn swallows and Purple Martins these birds are colony nesters and it is normal to see hundreds of these structures clustered together.  Over 3,000 nests have been seen in one place.  When young Cliff Swallows leave their nests they congregate in large groups called creches.  A pair of swallows can find its own young in the creche primarily by voice. 

Obviously, they are very social, not only in their nesting habits but feeding as well.  You may see hundreds of these birds feeding together when a particularly good swarm of insects presents itself.  In fact, if a Cliff swallow finds a good source of flying insects it has a specific call to alert the others. 

To find this bird look at any bridges crossing the Harpeth River. There’s a good chance you will see these busy little birds feeding and coming and going from their amazing nest structures.

Wood Thrush Notes

Tree Swallows and Bluebirds

Over the past ten years more and more people are reporting Tree Swallows using a nest box intended for Bluebirds. Tree Swallows are considered “competition” for the Bluebirds but typically that would be because there is only one box available. Such is the case when only one box present. In mid-TN there may be as many as 7 different songbirds interested in a Bluebird box; Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina, and House Wren, Prothonotary Warbler, and the Tree Swallow. This is why we recommend offering a number of nest-box choices. To not only alleviate competition, but to give several species of birds an opportunity that these days are getting harder to come by because of loss, or disruption, to habitat.

The Tree Swallow is smaller than a Bluebird measuring about 5-6 inches in length. Male and female are a steely blue-green to nearly black above and pure white below. Females tend to be a little duller in color overall. In the sunlight the blue-green plumage is very perceptible. Their forked tail is not as pronounced as a Barn Swallow’s.

Male Tree Swallow

Female Tree Swallow

Like other swallows they are expert flyers acrobatically catching insects on the wing. They appear to enjoy flying.

Their habitat preferences are pretty diverse ranging from wetlands and marshy areas to meadows and woodlands near water. This bird is only here between late February and approximately mid-March as it migrates back to its winter grounds in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

I recall reading accounts of Tree Swallows and Bluebirds using nest-boxes placed back to back on the same pole. I’ve never had a chance to test this but recently heard from a naturalist friend of mine experiencing this very thing. So, these two species are compatible enough to tolerate nesting in close proximity. If you have experienced Tree Swallows seemingly taking over one of your Bluebird boxes perhaps this is a chance for you to test this theory.

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Saturday Seed Availability Update

It’s been another trying week coordinating deliveries through freight. As a result of some errors we are out of stock of all sizes of Woodland Blend and Premium Blend until Monday the 28th. We are sorry for the inconvenience and are continually trying to keep your preferred products arriving in a timely way. Thanks for your business and your patience.