BREEDING BIRDS: BARN SWALLOW

BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) Description: Long, deeply-forked tail. Throat is reddish-brown; underparts usually cinnamon or buffy. In juveniles, tail is shorter but noticably forked; underparts pale. Habitat: Open country, especially near water, and agricultural areas. Diet: Primarily insects, but also occasional berries and seeds. Displays: Males pursue females in long, graceful courtship flights. On landing, pair rub heads and necks, interlock bills or mutually preen. Nest: Made of mud pellets and straw, heavily lined with feathers. Usually plastered on ledges and walls of buildings, under bridges and inside culverts. Eggs: White, spotted with brown; slightly less than an inch long. Natural history notes: Locally, the barn swallow nests almost exlusively on the sides of bridges over water, especially flood control channels. Fledglings are just starting to come out of the nest. Not only does the barn swallow breed locally, but it is one of the most common migrating swallows in Southern California. Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas (now in its fifth and final year), call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160. Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis. Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981). Indicates 5-kilometer-square areas where breeding activity has been confirmed.