Barn swallows swoop, swerve Bird shares close ties with humans

The common lament these days seems to be, “There’s not enough time in the day to get things done!” That is certainly true in my case, especially when it comes to pursuing my hobbies. I’m not independently wealthy yet so the challenge is arranging my schedule around one full-time job and a few free lance writing jobs to accommodate my two loves: birds and horses.

Although horseback riding does not lend itself to serious birding, there are times when the two dovetail nicely. The stable where I ride has the added attraction of being host to a few families of barn swallows. I enjoy observing the swallows whenever we take a break during a lesson.

They are always in motion and constantly vocalizing. At times they make half-hearted passes at my head as I pass beneath the beams they are nesting on, but I think for the most part they go about their business of courting, catching insects, and feeding their young. They perform perfectly choreographed maneuvers as they wing through the riding arena and out the open door. If we’re outside I delight in seeing them sail through the air, dipping, swerving, and swooping as they gobble up insects. Their pointed wings and long, forked tails make them easy to identify.

Barn swallows have enjoyed a long, mutually beneficial relationship with people. The “Birds of North America” species account mentions this association started before European settlement, with the birds nesting in the Native American dwellings.

The arrival of Europeans and the consequent expansion of buildings and bridges have enabled this bird to greatly expand its range; they are now the most populous and wide-spread swallow in the world. Formerly nesting in caves, they now nest almost exclusively on human-made dwellings. In return, the swallows provide insect control.

Barn swallows feed on the wing. The BNA species account documents that they consume flies, beetles, bees, wasps, and ants, among others. They also tend to forage lower in the air column than do other swallows, such as the cliff swallows and purple martins. According to the BNA, this behavior is a survival mechanism; foraging closer to the ground enables them to catch more insects, giving them a greater ability to survive late spring cold snaps.

Their tolerance of people has also given them an edge, and in turn garnered the tolerance of their hosts, many of whom welcome the birds’ presence on their property.

There is a lovely quote in the BNA barn swallow account that I’d like to share with you. It was by William L. Dawson and taken from “The Birds of California,” in 1923:

“One hardly knows what quality to admire most in the Barn Swallow. All the dear associations of life at the old farm come thronging up at the sight of him. You think of him somehow as part of the sacred past; yet here he is today as young and as fresh as ever, bubbling over with springtime laughter.”

Soon now the barn swallow will depart on its way to its wintering grounds in Central and South America. We can only hope that it will return next spring, again filling the air with its “bubbling, springtime laughter.”

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net