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The barn swallow will mob intruders such as cats or accipiters that venture too close to their nest, often flying very close to the threat. [60] Adult barn swallows have few predators, but some are taken by accipiters, falcons, and owls. Brood parasitism by cowbirds in North America or cuckoos in Eurasia is rare. [6] [37]
The typical nest is a grass or feather-lined deep closed mud bowl with a small opening at the top, [12] but many Asian house martins leave the top of the nest open. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] David Winkler and Frederick Sheldon believe that evolutionary development in the mud-building swallows, and individual species follow this order of construction.
The Cecropsis species construct a closed mud nest and therefore belong to the latter group. It is believed that the evolutionary sequence is from species that make open cup nests (Hirundo and Ptyonoprogne), through Delichon house martins with closed nests, to Cecropis and Petrochelidon, which have retort-like closed nests with an entrance ...
Mud Island is an island in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, [2] [3] in southeast Michigan. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] It is in Wayne County . [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Its coordinates are 42°14′20″N 83°08′27″W / 42.23889°N 83.14083°W / 42.23889; -83.14083 ( Mud Island ) [ 1 ] ; the United States Geological Survey gave its ...
Four nests – two on our garage, one behind the house and one behind the barn. Cliff Swallows craft their jug-like nests from mud I’ve mentioned my experiences with these neat swallows over the ...
Mud-nesting species in particular are limited in areas of high humidity, which causes the mud nests to crumble. Many cave-, bank-, and cliff-dwelling species of swallows nest in large colonies. Mud nests are constructed by both males and females, and amongst the tunnel diggers, the excavation duties are shared, as well.
It is much more urban than the barn swallow, and will nest even in city centres if the air is clean enough. [14] It is more likely to be found near trees than other Eurasian swallows, since they provide insect food and also roosting sites. This species does not normally use the reed-bed roosts favoured by migrating barn swallows. [16] [17]
They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. Eight species have been recorded in Michigan. Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota; Bank swallow, Riparia riparia; Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica