Cliff Swallow: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Birds of North America · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. Cliff swallows build gourd-shaped mud nests with a tiny doorway, packed side by side. Some colonies hold over 2,000 nests.
2. When one finds a great feeding spot, it gives a special squeak call, and its neighbours fly over to share the meal.
3. By about 15 days old, each chick has its own call, so its parents can find it among all the others in the colony.
4. Coming home at dusk, the flock flies so perfectly together that it can look like one giant creature.
5. Every year they return to nest at the mission church of San Juan Capistrano, California. A 1940 song celebrates their homecoming.

The quiz

1. What are cliff swallow nests made of?

• Twigs and moss
• Spider silk
• Mud (correct)
• Feathers and hair

They build gourd-shaped nests out of mud.

2. What does the squeak call tell other cliff swallows?

• That a storm is coming
• That there is a good place to find food (correct)
• That it is time to migrate
• That a nest is empty

It is given when a bird finds a good feeding area, and neighbours come.

3. How do parents find their own chick in a busy colony?

• By its smell
• By the colour of its feet
• By the shape of its nest
• By its own unique call (correct)

By about 15 days old, each chick has a call of its own.

4. What can a flock of cliff swallows look like at dusk?

• One large creature (correct)
• A line of ants
• Falling leaves
• A rainbow

They fly so closely in sync that they may appear as one organism.

5. Which California mission is famous for its returning cliff swallows?

• San Diego
• San Juan Capistrano (correct)
• Santa Barbara
• San Francisco

Each year they come back to nest at the mission's church.

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