An unusual variation on Cliff Swallow nest construction material.
Note: Usually I try to avoid posting about the same species on consecutive days. Today is an exception.
I’ve observed and photographed Cliff Swallows collecting construction material for their nests countless times over the years and it’s always been mud – pure mud with nothing else mixed in. Barn Swallows are known to mix grass and vegetation into the mud for their nests, presumably for the same reason many human civilizations mixed straw into mud when making adobe bricks, but according to the literature Cliff Swallows use mud and mud only.
Here’s what Cornell’s Birds of the World has to say about Cliff Swallow nest construction material:
- “grass is not mixed into mud, as in Barn Swallow nests”
But apparently the Cliff Swallow below, photographed in the mountains four days ago, hadn’t read the Cliff Swallow nest construction manual. Both sexes construct the nest so I don’t know the sex of this bird but I’m going to refer to ‘her’ as female.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
When collecting mud Cliff Swallows don’t just grab one gob of it in their bill and fly off with it. Instead they take multiple “bites” of the mud as if they’re trying to pack as much of it into their bill as is physically possible.
This little lady picked up a mud-soaked gob of grass (or vegetation similar to grass) at the beginning of her attempt to pack her bill. After this photo was taken she attempted to load up with additional mud before she flew off to her nest.
In my view there’s no chance she picked up the vegetation by mistake. There’s just too much of it and she didn’t discard it before she…
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
eventually flew off to add it to her nest construction project.
Cliff Swallows do use dry grass to line the interior of their nest after it’s been constructed and has dried out but I’ve never seen them collecting vegetation mixed in with the wet mud for nest construction and Cornell says they don’t do it. So I thought what this bird was doing was both unusual and noteworthy.
Do I think it’s a big deal – no. But I do think it’s interesting.
Besides, I liked this last shot so this gives me an excuse to post it…
Ron
Beautiful photos, amazing little bird.
Thanks, April.
Rules schmules.
This pint sized rebel is a beauty and needs no rules.
Need them or not she sure doesn’t follow them.
Here is another “not following rules” tidbit: According to Cornell and other sources, Ladderback Woodpeckers do not drum. Tell that to the local pair in my Albuquerque neighborhood. I think there pronouncements about avian behavior need more observation and research in general. It might be better to say “Did not observe____behavior”.
Or perhaps something like “Not reported”.
And then when it is reliably reported, change the account to reflect it.
I’ve never seen this before either (which doesn’t mean much). I think it is unusual enough to be noteworthy and I would suggest it’s worth contacting Charles and Mary Brown. They have been studying Cliff Swallows since the 1980s and are the authors of the Cliff Swallow article for Cornell’s Birds of the World. I suspect they would find the photo and account interesting. I believe they are at the University of Tulsa. You can find their info, I’m sure, if you look at the About the Authors section at the end of the article.
I’m glad you agree, Dan.
I’m afraid I’ve become discouraged about contacting Cornell or their authors about these types of things. I’ve done it twice in the past and they just don’t follow through. Example – about 10 years ago I documented a Western Kingbird throwing a pellet. Their WEKI account said this about pellet casting in that species – “No information”, So I contacted BNA and sent them my photos documenting the behavior. One of the big shots with BNA thanked me and asked me if they could use my photos when they updated their WEKI species account. I gave them permission.
Several years later they updated the WEKI account but to this day it still says “No information” about pellet casting in that species. And of course they didn’t use any of my photos.
When something very similar happened a second time I just decided no more. Wasted effort on my part.
Sorry to hear about that. I would hope all authors are not this way. I don’t know how Charles Brown would respond. I met him for all of 5 minutes when he was a job candidate at the UO after finishing his PhD at Princeton so I really don’t know much about him other than being familiar with his work. On another issue, I did contact Dr. Sarah Sloane, author of the Bushtit article, and she wrote back requesting to use my observation (about Bushtits and Cowbirds) in her update but I didn’t go through BNA, I emailed her directly in response to her blog (Bushtitsrule.blogspot.com). Barbara looked up the Brown’s information and found that Mary Brown passed away in 2019. In any case, I’m glad you posted the photo here. The information will be there for other to find.
Here’s some further explanation about why I’m hesitant to try to make such contacts with either Cornell or their authors. Apparently they don’t keep their contact info up to date. Very recently someone suggested I report an American White Pelican behavior I’d documented to Fritz Knopf, coauthor of the Cornell account for that species. I invested a lot of time in writing that email but when I sent it it was returned as undeliverable – “No Such Email Address”. It wasn’t my error. I copied and pasted the email address directly from the Cornell account.
Seems to me that Cornell should at least remove contact info that is no longer current.
I’m just impressed with clear photographs of any swallow!
Wonderful captures of the nest building process, Ron. Man, what beautiful colors!
As to the esteemed Cornell guidelines for construction, these Swallows obviously did not read — (and I’m really sorry for this) — The Cliff Notes.
You’re lyin’, Wally – you’re not sorry for it at all. And neither am I.
Isn’t it fun when those little puns just come from out of nowhere and beg to be used…
I love it when animals think outside our human-imposed box! Good for her! The close crop is wonderful — so much feather detail, including her white and black head. She’s a beauty, indeed. 🙂
Thanks, Marty. Not all of my images can stand up to such a severe crop but that one looks pretty darn good.
Maybe you’ve just seen the hundredth monkey in cliff swallow form. Every species needs a few rebels to change the status quo. I predict others will see her choice and copy it. 🙂 It will be written up in BirdHouse Digest and featured on the cover of Bird Living.
Could be, Arwen…
Thanks for all the wonderful Cliff Swallow photos and info to go with them! I may never get this close to these kind of birds so I appreciate all the edifying tidbits.
Good. Thanks, Joanne.
Great images and documentation!
Still think you should write a book with all the technology we have and that you use! But, I know I’m barking up the wrong tree! VBG!!
Thanks, Dick. Yup, wrong tree and wrong bark… 🙂
Accidental or deliberate, you have captured a behavior that appears to muddies the waters of ornithological orthodoxy.
Maybe a little, Lyle.
Interesting observation! I think we can expect every habit to have occasional variations. Given local conditions, if the reinforced nest held up better than the all mud nests, that inclination could be stronger in the offspring. Evolution depends upon differences. Change is the antidote to extinction. I keep wondering how our own species will evolve.
“Evolution depends upon differences”
Exactly, Mikal. In biology we call those differences variation.
What Sallie Reynolds said! I don’t think they have read the manuals–certainly the redtails don’t read it, but even if they did, they’re under no rules to follow those human-made-up rules 😉
Like I’ve said before, birds and critters overall do a lot of things we don’t know they do when they’re not being watched by humans! LOL!
What a beautiful girl/handsome lad (whichever).
I agree, Laura. Thanks.
I suspect that sometimes even Cornell falls into the “only instinctive behavior” trap from time to time. I’ve observed just a few species closely, over years, but those few have shown some sort of adaptive behavior when necessary. They learn. When their built-in Encyclopaedia Britannica fails them, they learn to cope. And strange things can happen.
Good point, Sallie.
What’s the nesting season for cliff swallows? I found a spot where they nest that I can get pictures of but I want to go back at evening for that late day light instead of the shade the cliff was in. I only have Saturday evenings available so I was worried I’d miss it. Also are there two color varieties of cliff swallows? I photographed some with the colors of the one above and some with olive green heads and bright green backs turning to purple above the tail.
Melani, around here nesting season is now but I suspect it varies with latitude.
I’m unaware of any color variations in adults although juveniles can be highly variable.
Melani Wright, perhaps you have seen Violet-green Swallows as well as Cliff Swallows? Spectacular species-
This mud looks a bit runny to me, lacking in clay components perhaps. Fiber reinforcement plays a big role in our manmade parts of the world. This swallow is leading the way for better nest building without all the human muck ups.
Dave, maybe she was a ‘construction pioneer’ of sorts… 🙂
Hello Ron, Yes; it is a big deal with your photo reinforced documentation. The past “experts” proclaimed the Earth is flat and our Sun orbited around our Planet Earth; now both debunked. You do have the right to challenge past “expert opinions” and take the compliment that you do.. Thanks, Don
Thank you, Don. I suspect what I documented is a fairly insignificant variation of typical behavior but I still find it interesting.
I’ve never paid that much attention BUT have never noticed anything but mud in their mouths – perhaps a necessary, local adaptation? That last photo IS a beauty! 🙂 Don’t know how they don’t choke on the stuff….. 😉
Great White Combine visited last evening – large pea size – wheat heading out – didn’t lay it down but will take a few to see if the stems are bruised….. 🙁
“local adaptation?”
Judy, I suspect it’s more of a quirky individual behavior. I’ve spent part of at least three mornings photographing swallows gathering mud at this exact spot and this was the only time I noticed anything but mud in their bills.
Many areas of the Salt Lake Valley had hail yesterday too but thankfully my area, and my garden, were spared. I remember the anxiety after a hailstorm on the MT farm, when the mud prevented us from going out and checking on our crops, sometimes for several days.
One strong memory when I was about 10 years old and living on the farm – a huge hail storm hit quickly and my dad and uncle and I had to take cover in an old camping trailer until it let up. But it lasted a very long time so we knew our crops were wiped out and it was very depressing. While it was still hailing my dad had me put a mechanic’s “creeper” over my head to protect me from the hail and run out to one of the pickups and retrieve a bottle of whiskey. My dad and uncle drank whiskey while we all sat in that metal trailer with hail battering it so loudly it was deafening. When we finally made it into the house my aunt was looking out the window and crying.
I’ll never forget it.
THAT would be memorable! 🙁 More than one person here, including Joe, have spent time under a tractor to get away from it – “before” cabs were available/common………
We didn’t have a cab on our old Minneapolis Moline when I first started driving tractor in the mid-50’s. I never got caught in a hailstorm while far away from a pickup I could take cover in but I sure remember the wind blowing dirt into my face that was brought up almost to eye level by the tractor tires. I hated that!
Dad finally built a cab for that tractor which I was extremely grateful for.
Being a late comer to farming (mid 30’s) I was not real great with the tractor (Minnneapolis Moline also cabless) so I got to “ride the drill” which was prone to plugging up – same thing…. UGH! The “good old days” HA!
Keeping my fingers crossed for you, Judy!
And mine.
Thx Marty……… 🙂
Very interesting Ron, and great photos as always. Don’t know much about Cliff Swallow construction, but remarkable how all our birds build their homes and nests. I took photos recently of them swarming in large groups into a muddy grassy section very close to one of our lakes to gather mud. I did not take any close ups so not sure if grass was included with the mud. Relating to your previous post there was definitely a lot of pushing and shoving going on as this group I watched gathered the mud.
Everett, you’re right about the interactions of the swallows while they’re gathering mud. In my photos I generally try to isolate a single bird but they’re often in tight little groups fluttering their wings as they gather the mud and physical interactions, including fighting, are common.