Barn Swallow –
These cute birds make nests of mud and straw. Their nests are not all that different from early homes of the pioneers, and some Indians, who made homes out of dirt. Those “people nests” were called adobe, sod, and dugout.
Barn swallow nests can be open-topped like a normal bird nest, or they can be a deep cavity with a small hole at the bottom like the ones in the photo. There are several nests under the rain gutter of my house and you can always find them under bridges and in barns.
Male tail feathers are used to attract females. Mature males pick a site for their nest, then whistle a song and do a dance for females in the area. The ladies pick the men with the longest tails because they know their tails are signs of health and immunity from disease and parasites. The strongest males will help their chicks as they grow up to raise families of their own.
Birds are smart, they choose a mate carefully and don’t have babies until they have a good nest built.
