Where do the swallows live? We learn!

Swallow (lat. Hirundinidae) - a small songbird, having a black plumage with a white belly and nadhvost. A short tail is noticeable, which has a bifurcation at the end in the form of a fork. On the question of where the swallows live, you can give a simple answer: everywhere. It is impossible to find them only in the Far North. The most suitable territory for living is the steppe zone.

The feathered family is very numerous - over one hundred species. The most common of these are urban, rustic and coastal swallows. The differences between the three species are not very significant.

Habitat

City swallows for the blue-black color of feathers are also called "funnels." Judging by the name, they prefer to settle in populated areas. Places where swallows live are usually located under roofs or cornices of houses. In cozy corners far from the clawed enemies erect urban residents their reliable nests. Where do the swallows live? In the nest, of course. To build houses use dry twigs of plants, chips, straws. The main material is earth or clay. Binding all components with the help of saliva, form a spherical nest.

There, where the swallows are rural, open area and there are no forests. Often the birds are located closer to human habitation, arranging their nests in order to reliably hide them from the weather. These can be lofts, barns or other farm buildings. Bird's dwelling can be found under the eaves of the house and even under the bridge. The shape of the socket is semicircular with an inlet located at the top.

The color of the village swallows is the same as that of the funnels, with the only difference being that they have a bright red necklace on their neck. Otherwise they are called "killer whales" because of the long bifurcated tail.

Where do they spend the winter?

All swallows are migratory birds. They spend the winter in a distant and sultry Africa, flying there in September. Returning to their native places in the middle of May, they are immediately accepted for building houses and laying eggs. A couple of weeks the chicks are born. Parents take turns to incubate children, providing each other with food. Over the summer, birds manage to bring offspring twice.

In food swallows use exclusively insects: beetles, flies, grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies. Eating them in large quantities, benefit the environment. During the feeding season, the swallows fly into nests with food up to six hundred times.

The constant hunt for insects led to folk wisdom about the approaching rain. Before precipitation, air is filled with moisture, from which the wings of insects become heavier. From this they sink low to the ground. Birds in pursuit of insects also go lower. Hence the sign: low flying swallows predict a fast rain.

Shore Swallows

Onshore swallows differ from their fellow color. Their feathers are brownish-brown. This allows them to dexterously disguise themselves from possible enemies. They build coastal feathered dwellings in burrows that are digged in cliffs over the banks of rivers and lakes. In the depths of the burrow a nest is arranged. Building material for it are dry grass blades and stems, which the shore birds do not stick together saliva, but simply spread out.

Restless swallows can fly for a long time without sitting down. It is very interesting to observe the colonies of the shore birds. Food in sufficient quantities is always found where the swallows live. Therefore, birds fly all day long over the water. Rushing over the pond, they can have time to get drunk or instantly bathe.

Conclusion

In the places where the chizh and the swallow live, it is always noisy because both birds sing loudly. Over the open space you can hear noisy cries of talking picchos among themselves.