The Nesting Guide

Introduction to the Nesting Guide:
Having your own Tree Swallow nest box project gives you an unparalleled opportunity
to witness the nesting cycle of free-living songbirds up close, an opportunity you
won't want to miss.  You'll find your swallows are superb teachers: they really let you
see what's happening.  Your observations and experiences with them will help you
understand songbirds in general, and to help structure and expand your learning
we've designed the Nesting Guide.














The reproductive cycles of songbirds progress through a regular succession of stages,
each with its own set of significant events, activities, and pressures.  The details
differ by species, but the stages and issues apply to all.  The Nesting Guide presents
a series of topics, listed at left, that follow the sequence of stages in the Tree
Swallow nesting cycle.  Each topic addresses a specific stage or issue of songbird
reproduction, or investigates important aspects of songbird behavior, biology,
ecology, or management.

The topics are intended to complement and reinforce what you learn in the field.  
They are not meant to replace your own observations, which are the real key to
understanding the swallows and their world.  We hope you'll try to make watches
each time you visit your project because, as the proverb says:

















Making field watches isn't hard.  Just bring along an old lawn chair, and relax and
observe for ten or fifteen minutes at several boxes in succession.  Take notes or use
a behavior check list if you want, and be sure to think about what you see and
speculate about causes.  And of course make a round of box checks before you leave.

We suggest you refer to the particular guide topics that correspond to the current
nesting stage at your project, both before project visits as preparation for field
watches, and again afterward as you reflect on what you've seen.  Of course the
Nesting Guide can't prepare you for everything.  There's always the chance you'll
witness something totally unexpected, such as the swallow below with an extremely
rare genetic mutation in its pigment producing system (photo by Mark Deprez).

















We think the Nesting Guide can be a valuable learning tool in and of itself, and we've
tried to be thorough and thought-provoking, but you may want to supplement the
guide with other sources.

If you want a comprehensive reference, consider buying a companion book such as
"The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior", or better yet, Cornell Lab of
Ornithology's "Handbook of Bird Biology".  If you have a strong interest in anatomy
and physiology of birds, "Manual of Ornithology" by Proctor and Lynch, combines
excellent text with outstanding illustrations.

If you want a really comprehensive learning experience, check out the Lab of
Ornithology's Home Study Course in Bird Biology.  It's challenging, but it could make a
great complement to your project experiences.























                                                            Top
Learn About Birds at Tree Swallow Nest Box Projects
"Hearing about something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once".