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Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Gord-shaped nest of the American cliff swallow. "Cliff Swallows have tidy, well-constructed nests, formed from balls of mud that they collect in their beaks. These nests are built on vertical walls, natural or man-made, frequently with some sort of sheltering overhang. Barns, bridges, and large buildings are regularly used. Birds of both sexes begin by dabbing a circle of mud onto a wall and then adding mud-balls from the bottom of the rim up and out, eventually forming a jug-shaped nest. Unlike Barn Swallows, they do not add sticks or straw to the mud structure, but they do line the nest with grass and feathers. Both members of the pair incubate the four to five eggs for 14 to 16 days. Both feed the young, which leave the nest 21 to 23 days after hatching. The parents continue to feed the young for three to five days after they leave the nest. The young of a colony assemble in large crèches, and Cliff Swallow parents use a sophisticated vocal communication system to locate their own chicks within the crèche." http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/clif...
Under the boat-shaped concrete observation tower at Fort Defiance State Park, extreme southern Illinois, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
This was one of the few intact (undisturbed) and occupied nests under the structure. Maybe a hundred other nests had been destroyed by humans.
Spotted on Jul 11, 2012
Submitted on Jul 12, 2012
1 Comment
Beautiful nest and photo. How sad that other nests had been destroyed by humans!