At 02:43 AM 7/23/96 EDT, Jerry wrote:
>
>
>At least I ~think~ dispersal is when the parents say, "OK, I've fed you well,
>and taught you all I can. You can do it on your own. Get outta my life!" ????

Actually, swallows group together in a staging area to prepare for
migration. Unlike other species, they do not reject (or push away) their
young but absorb them into the flock. Interestingly, they will adopt an
orphan that's placed in their nest (as long as the age is the same) without
a problem and will absorb a stranger into their group. Very gregarious birds.

Peggi




Peggi Rodgers
Oregon Research Institute
Eugene, OR
peggir at ori.org
prodgers at efn.org
"A bird does not sing because it has an
answer, It sings because it has a song"