Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow

 (Petrochelidonpyrrhonota)

Photographed at, Toronto, Canada       July 2008

The gregarious Cliff Swallow nests in large colonies on buildings, cliffs, and under bridges. The gourd-shaped mud nests can number up to several hundred or thousand in a single location.

When a Cliff Swallow has had a hard time finding food, it will watch its neighbours in the nesting colony and follow one to food when it leaves. Although sharing of information about food at the colony seems unintentional, when a swallow finds food away from the colony during poor weather conditions it may give a specific call that alerts other Cliff Swallows that food is available.

By alerting other swallows to a large insect swarm an individual may ensure that the swarm is tracked and that it can follow the swarm effectively. 

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Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

 (HirundoRustica)

Photographed at Etobicoke Creek, Toronto, Canada       May 2010

The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely distributed swallow species in the world. It breeds throughout the northern hemisphere and winters in much of the southern hemisphere. 

The long tail of a Barn Swallow may indicate the quality of the individual bird. Females prefer to mate with males that have the longest and most symmetrical tails. 

An unmated male Barn Swallow may kill the nestlings of a nesting pair. His actions often succeed in breaking up the pair and afford him the opportunity to mate with the female. Female Barn Swallows favour males that have a darker reddish chest color

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Sallows

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Barn Swallow                 Cliff Swallow

These are the only ones I have Photographed of the 83 species. They are common with the Martins, which I have not gotten to get a picture of yet.