JUNE 5, 2012 - BIRDS ON THE BRIDGE
I have always
loved watching birds. It has a history
in my family, as my grandmother and my mother’s cousins were bird lovers. I have always enjoyed putting out bird seed
and attracting as many birds as possible.
The story on Barn Swallows in the Southeast Missourian caught my
attention today!
Doing some
research on Barn Swallows, I found a website for Cornell University:
“Glistening
cobalt blue above and tawny below, Barn Swallows dart gracefully over fields,
barnyards, and open water in search of flying insect prey. Look for the long,
deeply forked tail that streams out behind this agile flyer and sets it apart
from all other North American swallows. Barn Swallows often cruise low, flying
just a few inches above the ground or water. True to their name, they build
their cup-shaped mud nests almost exclusively on human-made structures.”
·
Barn Swallow parents
sometimes get help from other birds to feed their young. These “helpers at the
nest” are usually older siblings from previous clutches, but unrelated
juveniles may help as well.
·
Although the killing of egrets is often cited for inspiring the
U.S. conservation movement, it was the millinery (hat-making) trade’s impact on
Barn Swallows that prompted naturalist George Bird Grinnell’s 1886 Forest
& Stream editorial decrying the waste of bird life. His essay led
to the founding of the first Audubon Society.
·
According to legend, the Barn Swallow got its forked tail
because it stole fire from the gods to bring to people. An angry deity hurled a
firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers.
·
The oldest known Barn Swallow in North America was 8 years, 1
month old.
I found another
Barn Swallow enthusiast online, and they had posted this great fledgling
photo! Let us know if you find any good
bird watching spots!
Visit their site
at:
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