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The Barn Swallow
Nature's Aerial Acrobat
by
Lewis Smith
More than any other bird,
with the possible exception
of the Turkey Vulture,
I treasure its presence. |
Photograph copyright 1999, Greg
W. Lasley
Hirundo rustica |
The Barn Swallow really
earns its keep -- aesthetically and as a practical matter. They come early in the year and
stay late, endlessly patrolling my grounds for things that, without them, surely would be
driving me nuts -- buzzing around my head, crawling down my neck or biting my arms and
legs. All while the Vultures soar majestically overhead
and keep the place from stinking up. (More about them in November.)
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Bugcatching.
. .
Lewis Smith © 1999
One of the best things about the Barn
Swallow is their entertainment value. When I'm really old, not just partially, I'd hope to
be wheeled out onto the porch. . . |
. . .and preening.
Greg Lasley © 1999
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| . . .there, I'd be perfectly happy watching a
squadron of them put on a death-defying air show that would shame the Blue Angels or
Thunderbirds. |
A rare moment...Barn Swallow pair at
rest.
Lewis Smith © 1999
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| They're at it just
about all day. Their near-disastrous swoops and hairpin turns are the "right
stuff" if you're going to catch bugs on the wing. But, even when they're not feeding,
they "go for it" in catch-me-if-you-can games just for the sheer fun of it. I'm
convinced of that. 
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| Lest I'm
thought to deal in extremes, let me briefly say that I treasure all birds; however, some
to me are just a little more special. For example, I have a Purple Martin house and loyal
colony, and would be severely shaken if they abandoned us. They're close relatives of the
Barn Swallow [BS], but I'm not sure the Purple Martins [PM] see them
as social equals:
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| If they were Titanic
passengers, the PMs would definitely be upper deck, while the BSs would be having a ball in steerage. The PMs much prefer pristine condos, while the BS builds
its own humble mud and straw place... preferring eaves with rough surfaces, a
platform under a porch overhang, or barn rafters - all fairly near a water/mud source.
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The perfect nest...close
to a ceiling.
Lewis Smith © 1999
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| The mud (here
caliche) and straw nest is the result of hundreds of trips to a nearby tank, where the
adult pair also drink, scooping the water with their beaks without touching down. In
drought periods when less mud is available, they'll settle for a less muddy nest built on
a platform. |
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