Hi Kerri, and tweeters, and thanks very much Kerri for posting about your brother in law and the Barn Swallow nest.

The Barn Swallow's nesting strategy is to nest very close to humans and ask them for help in dealing with predators such as Crows where superior military might is required. Implicit in the choice of a very close nest site is an appeal to the humans inside to come out and scare away predators when the Barn Swallow makes a fuss. For centuries, farmers have helped Barn Swallows and have been this bird's best friend, as well as the Crows biggest enemy, which gets to the root of why this bird is called a "Barn Swallow." Few if any Barn Swallows nest in so-called natural sites.
Though Barn Swallows are very excitable when the survival of their babies is at stake, and will take to divebombing the occupants of the house at times, they basically see people as protectors and wouldn't be near us if they really identified us as a serious threat.

When people remove Barn Swallow nests from their house they are betraying a century's old friendship between people and a hardworking species that sees how powerful we are and is specifically asking us for a little help in a harsh world. Kerri's brother in law--and all of us-- should take the complement at face value.


Ed Newbold newboldwildlife at netscape.net Seattle Beacon Hill, where our Barn Swallows are thinking about double clutching.
P.S. Even though I believe Crows are the likely agent in the loss of the Nighthawk, and declines in other species around here including the Band Tailed Pigeon, I don't think a Crow-hunting season will be helpful.




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