Tree Swallow: a two-minute wildlife lesson
The male collects feathers, often won in squabbles, to line the nest. They help keep the eggs and chicks warm.
Songbirds of the Americas · day 1 of 7
Five facts
- The male collects feathers, often won in squabbles, to line the nest. They help keep the eggs and chicks warm.
- To drive a threat away from the nest, the swallows swarm and dive at it, passing within 0.5 to 2 m without ever hitting it.
- It hunts on the wing as high as 50 m above the ground, mixing flaps and glides, sometimes alone and sometimes in a group.
- Near lakes turned acidic by people, parents may fly up to 650 m to find fish bones and shells, rich in calcium, for their chicks.
- A young female is mostly brown instead of shiny blue-green. This may help her scout for nest sites, as males treat her more gently.
The quiz
1. What does the male tree swallow use to line the nest?
- Spider silk
- Feathers (correct)
- Mud pellets
- Pine resin
The male gathers feathers, often during fights, and they help keep the nest warm.
2. How do tree swallows usually defend their nest from an intruder?
- They peck it until it bleeds
- They hide inside the nest and stay silent
- They swarm and dive at it without hitting it (correct)
- They spray it with a bad-smelling liquid
They mob the intruder, swooping close but not actually striking it.
3. Up to what height above the ground does the tree swallow forage?
- 50 m (correct)
- 5 m
- 1 km
- 3 km
It forages in flight up to 50 m above the ground.
4. Near acidic lakes, what do parents travel further to find for their chicks?
- Fresh water
- Soft moss for bedding
- Seeds
- Calcium-rich items like fish bones and shells (correct)
Acid lakes make calcium harder to find, so parents fly up to 650 m for it.
5. Why might a young female's brown plumage be useful?
- It hides her from hawks in winter
- Males are less aggressive, so she can explore nest sites (correct)
- It attracts more insects
- It keeps her cooler in summer
A 1987 study suggested resident males are gentler with young brown females, letting them scout nest sites.
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