Joining The Flock soon!

View range map of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher here.

This common bird of the south central United States is unmistakable with its extremely long forked tail and salmon pink plumage. Often seen perched on utility wires and fence posts throughout the summer months, this beautiful bird swoops in graceful arcs to catch insects in flight. While both the male and female Scissor-tailed Flycatcher has a long forked tail, the male's is usually much longer. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher forms into huge flocks in late summer, sometimes numbering a thousand birds. They roost together before beginning their fall migration. Most will winter in southern Mexico and Central America, though some will winter in southern Florida and south Texas. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher feeds on insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets and beetles. Prey is captured by aerial hawking, and sometimes by gleaning from vegetation. This species will forage in any open habitat where there are sufficient perches. This species is socially monogamous. The female does most of the nest construction, forming an open cup of plant stems in a shrub or tree. Many types of open habitat are used, including savannahs, agricultural lands, suburbs, parks, gardens and golf courses. The female lays five speckled eggs which she incubates alone for 14 days. The chicks are altricial (naked and helpless) and she will brood them and feed them. The male will help with feeding and nest sanitation. The chicks fledge after about 15 days. This species is secure and presents no conservation concerns, but may suffer from loss of nesting habitat. Large scale nesting failures can occur locally due to inclement weather. Severe storms and tornadoes may destroy large numbers of nests.

Joining The Flock soon!

Joining The Flock soon!

Joining The Flock soon!

Joining The Flock soon!

View range map of Barn Swallow here.

The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely distributed swallow in the world. Once a cave breeding species, this familiar occupant of barns and other buildings, now nests exclusively on man-made structures. The long forked tail of the barn swallow is an indication of quality. The female will choose a mate with the longest and most symmetrical tail. The Barn Swallow is found throughout the United States and Canada during the summer, it winters in southern Mexico and Central America. The Barn Swallow captures insects by aerial hawking, hunting closer to the ground than many other swallow species. It will hunt in any open habitat, such as agricultural fields, parks and suburban areas, where there are buildings for nesting. This species commonly associates with livestock, which flush insects. It also hunts over water. The Barn Swallow is a colonial nester. The birds select a nest site immediately upon arrival at the nesting grounds, often returning to the same colony each year. Old nests are reused, if they do not contain parasites. The nest is constructed from mud, either under an overhang or attached to a wall. The female does most of the construction, collecting mud and grasses. If an old nest is used new material is added. The female lays 3-7 white/ pinkish glossy eggs. Both birds incubate the eggs for 13-17 days, but the female spends more time on the nest than the male, and she always incubates over night. The chicks are fed by both parents, and fledge after about 20 days. The parents may continue to feed the chicks for up to a week after fledging. Helpers at the nest are common in this species. These are unmated birds, often yearlings or young from a previous brood, that may help feed the chicks, sometimes for an entire breeding season. The Barn Swallow has benefitted greatly from European settlement of North America, and is probably more numerous than previously. This species was hunted for the millinery trade during 1800s, and it was this species which prompted George Bird Grinnell’s 1886 editorial in Forest and Stream that led to the founding of the first Audubon Society, and the development of the conservation movement in the United States.