Birds Posters
Swallows
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding.
Swallow is used colloquially in Europe as a synonym for the Barn Swallow.
This family comprises two subfamilies: Pseudochelidoninae (the river martins of the genus Pseudochelidon) and Hirundininae (all other swallows and martins).
Within the Hirundiniae, the name "martin" tends to be used for the squarer tailed species, and the name "swallow" for the more fork tailed species.
Swallow tailed kites occupy wooded swamps, open forests, lake shores, and freshwater marshes.
The most notable feature of E. forficatus is the deeply forked swallow like tail, which distinguishes this kite species from its relatives, Mississippi kites and white tailed kites.
The structure of the tail enables this kite to fly well at low speeds.
Swallow tailed kites can be solitary or social birds. Often they nest in close range to one another and large pre migration gatherings have been noted in areas with abundant food sources.
Swallow tailed kites are primarily insectivorous, snatching and feeding on flying insects in mid air,
but they are also known to capture other prey, such as snakes, frogs, and nestlings and fledglings.
They do not hover and usually eat prey in mid flight.
The Tree Swallow was first described in 1808 by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, a French Ornithologist.
They are known to "fight" over feathers in mid air for reasons which are still under investigation.
There is some speculation that this is a form of play.
The Violet green Swallow was first described in 1827 by William Swainson, a British naturalist.
Cave Swallows often have their nests in places with minimal light, so it appears they locate their nests by flying past the nest site and then turning toward the nest,
offering them a better vantage point.
One of the largest colonies makes its home in Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico, where they co exist with Mexican free tailed bats.
The Bahama Swallow is found in eastern Cuba and throughout the Bahamas, but only breeds in pine forests on four islands in the northern Bahamas;
Andros, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and New Providence.
The near threatened status of this poorly known species stems from the limited extent of pine forest breeding habitat,
a history of logging in that habitat, and potential competition from exotic secondary cavity nesters.