While tree swallows are among the first summer residents to arrive in Missouri, often by mid March, barn swallows begin to appear by the end of the month, though, in my experience, most arrive in April. Tree swallows, having wintered as close by as the Gulf-Coast region, tempt fate amidst the ice and snow but it is even more remarkable that barn swallows return as early as they do, having spent the winter in South America.
Breeding throughout most of North America (excluding the boreal forest, the Arctic tundra and the Southwestern deserts), barn swallows favor open grasslands, farms, savannas and wetlands where they usually nest under the eves of out-buildings. Gracefully strafing fields and lakes, they feed on a wide variety of flying insects.
This morning, while walking around Perry Phillips Lake, in southeast Columbia, I encountered my first barn swallow of the season, mingling with a flock of tree swallows. Within a few weeks, large numbers of barn and cliff swallows will begin nesting in the covered fishing dock at the lake, providing a spectacle for local birders through early summer.
Breeding throughout most of North America (excluding the boreal forest, the Arctic tundra and the Southwestern deserts), barn swallows favor open grasslands, farms, savannas and wetlands where they usually nest under the eves of out-buildings. Gracefully strafing fields and lakes, they feed on a wide variety of flying insects.
This morning, while walking around Perry Phillips Lake, in southeast Columbia, I encountered my first barn swallow of the season, mingling with a flock of tree swallows. Within a few weeks, large numbers of barn and cliff swallows will begin nesting in the covered fishing dock at the lake, providing a spectacle for local birders through early summer.
