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After building the nest, barn swallows may nest colonially where sufficient high-quality nest sites are available, and within a colony, each pair defends a territory around the nest which, for the European subspecies, is 4 to 8 m 2 (40 to 90 sq ft) in size. Colony size tends to be larger in North America. [37]
However, they don't start breeding until 8 months to 14 months of age. [7] Although welcome swallows are monogamous, more than just the breeding pair may take care of the young. Also, many swallows may live within the nest like during non-breeding periods where colonies will roost together in large numbers. [7]
An artificial purple martin nesting colony The barn swallow is the national bird of Estonia. [48] They also are one of the most depicted birds on postage stamps around the world. [49] [50] [51] Swallows are tolerated by humans because of their beneficial role as insect eaters, and some species have readily adapted to nesting in and around human ...
Violet-green swallow with a beak full of insects A female violet-green swallow feeding her chick from outside their tree hole nest. Similar to other swallows, violet-green swallows are specialized aerial insectivores, catching and eating their prey while in flight. However, they have been known to feed higher in the sky than most other swallows.
Cliff swallows are not common birds and to have them nesting on our vinyl-sided house is very unusual as they traditionally prefer nesting under bridges or eaves of old barns.
It is thought that the sequence "open-nest" to "closed nest" to "retort nest" represents the evolutionary development in the mud-building swallows, and individual species follow this order of construction. A retort builder like red-rumped swallow starts with an open cup, closes it, and then builds the entrance tunnel.
The western house martin was originally a cliff and cave nester, and some cliff-nesting colonies still exist, with the nests built below an overhanging rock. It now largely uses human structures such as bridges and houses. Unlike the barn swallow, it uses the outside of inhabited buildings, rather than the inside of barns or stables.
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