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Breeding Swallow Survey 2003
Notes
Many species of bird can be easily disturbed when
nesting. Fortunately, Swallows are used to living alongside us and
a daily visit will cause no harm. There are two things to be aware
of.
- If an adult bird is sitting on the nest he or
she is either brooding the eggs or keeping very young chicks warm.
Please do not go near the nest if a bird is sitting.
- When the young chicks get very big, there is
a chance that they will jump out of the nest if approached - even
if they are not quite old enough to fly. When the chicks are three-quarters
grown do not visit the nest.
The nesting season
- It is usually the male bird which arrives back
first. Male Swallows have longer tail feathers than females. If
you see a pair sitting alongside each other you will probably
be able to recognise the male by the very long tail. Only fill
in the “sex” box if you know which bird is which,
please.
- As soon as both birds are present, nest building
is likely to start - taking about 10 days to complete.
- The female lays one egg per day, usually in
the early morning, and does not start to brood them until the
clutch is complete (or the last-but-one egg has been laid). Both
parents usually take turns to keep the eggs warm for the next
19 days, although the female does more of the work. During this
period, there might be a time when the nest is unoccupied - which
gives a good chance to have a quick look to count the number of
eggs. A mirror on the end of a cane will save you a climb.
- During the first few days after hatching, the
female will spend most of her time keeping the young chicks warm,
whilst the male brings in food. In colder weather, brooding of
the young may take place for longer. As the young get bigger,
it becomes easier to count the number of beaks.
- If you watch carefully, you can see the adult
birds taking “packages of poop” away from the nest.
As the chicks get bigger, they move to the side of the nest and
defecate over the side. If you can, please note down when you
start to see their droppings appearing beneath the nest.
- Most young birds make their first flight in the
early morning. For the next few days they will beg for food, either
whilst sitting on a wire or beam, or whilst chasing their parents.
You should be able to find out how many birds have fledged successfully,
either by counting them after they have left the nest or by looking
for dead youngsters left behind in the nest.
- Only four or five days after the first brood
has left the nest, the female Swallow will probably start to build
another one. Ten days later, when the nest is completed, it is
time for the parents to think about the next brood and to chase
away the first lot of fledglings. We are particularly
keen to receive information about all of the nesting attempts
of each pair of Swallows so please try to record what
happens throughout the breeding season. Thank you.
Important note:
Some BTO volunteers help to monitor breeding success
by sending in nest record cards for a wide range of species. This
involves looking for and looking into nests. If this is something
you might wish to do then look at the Nest
Record Scheme section on the BTO website. Please do not fill
in a Swallow Survey form if you are filling in a nest record card
for the same nest.
To download this information sheet
please CLICK HERE (Microsoft
Word file 53Kb)
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