Spring Return
Learn About Birds at Tree Swallow Nest Box Projects

At the Project:
Books, videos, CDs, and the web all help if you want to learn about wild birds,
but at some point you need to get out and see your subjects first hand.

And now is your chance.  Your first swallows have arrived!













It's early spring.  There may still be snow on the ground, and temperatures fall
below freezing at night, but Tree Swallows are migrating back to the breeding
grounds, and some have discovered your nest boxes.  

So let's start getting to know your birds.

Put on warm clothes, boots, hat and gloves.  Bring an old folding chair, (but if
the ground is soft you'll end up standing).  Binocs may help if this is your first
real meeting with Tree Swallows.  You probably won't need them later on.

Go in the morning when Tree Swallows visit and explore potential nest sites.  
Early season afternoons they usually spend feeding elsewhere.

Sit where you can watch boxes with swallow activity.  Their behavior centers
on the boxes because the boxes and their contents will be the most
important things in the swallows' lives for the next ten weeks.  Watch for
awhile, then move to another box and watch some more.

Finish your visit with a Box Check.  Alway do this last.

Concepts:
What do Tree Swallows look like?  Check for these features:
  • Dark head and upper body, usually, but not always, iridescent blue-
    green.
  • Pure white throat and underbody.
  • Wings long, dark and pointed.
  • Tail short, dark and notched.
  • Head somewhat flattish with short neck.
  • Eyes dark and hard to see.
  • Bill short and small.
  • Feet small and legs very short.
  • Slender, streamlined, overall appearance.

No animal is good at everything.  There's a saying that "form follows function".  
So what do you think Tree Swallow bodies are specialized for?

How do they fly?
  • Fast or slow?
  • Agile or awkward?
  • Turn a lot or fly in straight lines?

How do they move on the ground?
  • Walk or hop?
  • Move easily or awkwardly?
  • Did you even see one on the ground?

So are Tree Swallows specialized for life in the air or on the ground?  Where
do you think they find their food?
  • Tree Swallows are fast, highly-maneuverable fliers that spend many
    hours in the air every day.
  • They catch flying insects in their mouths.
  • They may land on the ground to sun, get nest material, or find certain
    foods, but they usually perch above-ground.

Why do the swallows let you watch them so closely?
  • They are such good fliers they know escape from you is easy.
  • They may not view us as predators.

Seeing Tree Swallow behavior up close lets you perfect observation skills.
Get used to asking yourself:
  • What's a behavior's purpose?  How does it help Tree Swallows survive or
    raise young?
  • What stimulates a behavior; what causes it to occur?
  • Does a behavior's frequency change during the nesting season, and if
    so, why?
  • Do males and females behave alike or differently, and why?

Question for the next Topic:  Songbird Behavior.
  • What are some characteristics of songbird behavior?
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