Roosts and migrations of swallows

David W. Winkler

doi:10.56178/eh.v21i2.790

Articles Published 01 December 2006 https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v21i2.790

Roosts and migrations of swallows

diurnal Hirundinidae martins migration nocturnal roost swallows

David W. Winkler Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

Abstract

Swallows of the north temperate zone display a wide variety of territorial behaviour during the breeding season, but as soon as breeding is over, they all appear to adopt a pattern of independent diurnal foraging interleaved with aggregation every night in dense roosts. Swallows generally migrate during the day, feeding on the wing. On many stretches of their annual journeys, their migrations can thus be seen as the simple spatial translation of nocturnal roost sites with foraging routes straightening out to connect them. However, swallows that must make long journeys over ecological barriers clearly fly at night as well as in the day, and many suggestions indicate that there is considerable complexity in the altitude and bearing of flights even during the day. There are especially intriguing indications that much swallow migration may take place high out of sight of ground observers with movements near the ground often associated with foraging in passage. Provided that roost sites can be reliably found, swallow migration can be extremely flexible, and there are interesting contrasts in the biogeography and phenological flexibility of swallows compared to other passerine birds. Even within the swallows, there is considerable interspecific and intraspecifc variability in the distances of their annual migrations, and we are only just beginning to understand the biological causes and consequences of this variation. The profusion of Doppler weather radar stations in the eastern United States has allowed the characterization in considerable detail of the North American distributions of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and Purple Martins (Progne subis) throughout the non-breeding season. Evaluating the relative roles of movements and mortality in creating these patterns remains an important challenge for further research.

PDF

References

ARDIA DR, SCHAT KA AND WINKLER DW (2003) Repro-ductive effort reduces long-term immune functionin breeding tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor).Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B270:1679–1683
BELTON W (1985) Birds of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Part 2. Formicariidae through Corvidae. Bulletin ofthe American Museum of Natural History 180:1–241
BIJLSMA RG ANDVA NDEN BRINK B (2005) A BarnSwallow Hirundo rustica roost under attack: timingand risks in the presence of African Hobbies Falcocuvieri. Ardea 93:37–48
VA NDEN BRINK B, BIJLSMA RG ANDVA NDER HAV E TM(2000) European Swallows Hirundo rustica inBotswana during three non-breeding seasons: theeffects of rainfall on moult. Ostrich 71:198–204
BRITISH TRUSTFOR ORNITHOLOGY (2006) SwallowRoost Project. (URL: http://www.bto.org/ringing/swallowroostproject/index.htm)
BROWN CR AND BROWN MB (1996) Coloniality in theCliff Swallow. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
BROWN CR AND BROWN MB (1999) Barn Swallow(Hirundo rustica). Pp. 1–32 in: POOLE A AND GILL F(eds) The birds of North America. Academy of Natu-ral Sciences and American Ornithologists’ Union,Philadelphia and Washington DC
BRYANT DM AND TURNER AK (1982) Central placeforaging by swallows (Hirundinidae): the questionof load size. Animal Behaviour 30:845–856
BURNESS GP, YDENBERG RC AND HOCHACHKA PW (2001)Physiological and biochemical correlates of broodsize and energy expenditure in tree swallows.Journal of Experimental Biology 204:1491–1501
BURNEY CW (2002) A study of swallow roosts found inthe Eastern United States. MSc thesis. Cornell Uni-versity, Ithaca
CRAMP S (1988) The Birds of the Western Palearctic.Oxford University Press, Oxford
CZARNOWSKI MR, LOMBARDO MP, POWER HW ANDHASSELQUIST D (2004) Sudden energetic deficit inmale tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) has negli-gible effect on immunocompetence and gluco-corticosteroid levels. Integrative and ComparativeBiology 44:543–543
GATTER VW AND BEHRNDT M (1985) Unterschiedlichetageszeitliche Zugmuster alter und junger Vogel amBeispiel der Rauchschwalbe (Hirundo rustica).Vogelwarte 33:115–120
GLICK P (1939) The distribution of insects, spiders andmites in the air. United States Department of Agricul-ture Technical Bulletin 673:1–150
GRIFFIN B, CLARK J AND ROBINSON RE (2005) SwallowRoost Project Newsletter. British Trust for Ornithology,Thetford
HAILMAN JP (1962) Direct evidence for trans-Caribbean migratory flights of swallows anddragonflies. American Midland Naturalist68:430–433
HASSELQUIST D, WASSON MF AND WINKLER DW (2001)Humoral immunocompetence correlates with dateof egg-laying and reflects work load in female treeswallows. Behavioral Ecology 12:93–97
HILL JR III (1995) Thousands of martins killed by hailin Brazilian tornado. Purple Martin Update 6:2–3
HOOGLAND JL AND SHERMAN PW (1976) Advantagesand disadvantages of Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia)coloniality. Ecological Monographs 46:33–58HUIN N AND SPARKS TH (1998) Arrival and progres-sion of the Swallow Hirundo rustica through Britain.Bird Study 45:361–370
LOMBARDO MP, GREEN ML, THORPE PA, CZARNOWSKIMR AND POWER HW (2004) Repeated samplingaffects Tree Swallow semen characteristics. Journalof Field Ornithology 75:394–403
LYULEEVA DS (1973) Features of swallow biologyduring migration. Pp. 219–272 in: BYKHOVSKII BE (ed)Bird migrations: ecological and physiological factors. JohnWiley & Sons, New York
MACLEAN GL (1988) Roberts’ birds of southern Africa.New Holland, London
MARTÍNEZ MM (1983) Nidificación de Hirundo rusticaerythrogaster (Boddaert) en la Argentina (Aves,Hirundinidae). Neotropica 29:83–86
MCCARTY JP AND WINKLER DW (1999) Foraging ecol-ogy and diet selectivity of tree swallows feedingnestlings. Condor 101:246–254
MCLACHLAN GR AND LIVERSIDGE R (1957) Roberts birds ofSouth Africa. South African Bird Book Fund, Cape Town
MEAD CJ AND HARRISON JD (1979) Sand Martin move-ments within Britain and Ireland. Bird Study 26:73–86
MØLLER AP (1987) The advantages and disadvantagesof coloniality in the swallow Hirundo rustica. AnimalBehaviour 35:819–832
MOREAU RE (1961) Problems of Mediterranean-Saharan migration. Ibis 103a:373–427, 103a:580–623
MOREAU RE (1972) The Palearctic-African bird migrationsystems. Academic Press, London
OATLEY TB (2000) Migrant European SwallowsHirundo rustica in southern Africa: a southern pers-pective. Ostrich 71:205–209
OREN DC (1980) Enormous concentration of martins(Progne spp.) in Iquitos, Peru. Condor 82:344–345
ORMEROD SJ (1991) Pre-migratory and migratorymovements of Swallows Hirundo rustica in Britainand Ireland. Bird Study 38:170–178
PHILLIPS AR (1986) The known birds of North and MiddleAmerica. Part I. Private edition, Denver
PILASTRO A AND MAGNANI A (1997) Weather conditionsand fat accumulation dynamics in pre-migratoryroosting Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica. Journal ofAvian Biology 28:338–344
PURPLE MARTIN CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (2005)Project Martin Roost (URL: http://www.purplemartin.org/roost/)
RUBOLINI D, MASSI A AND SPINA F (2002a) Replacementof body feathers is associated with low premigra-tory energy stores in a long-distance migratory bird,the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). Journal of Zoology258:441–447
RUBOLINI D, PASTOR AG, PILASTRO A AND SPINA F(2002b) Ecological barriers shaping fuel stores inBarn Swallows Hirundo rustica following the cen-tral and western Mediterranean flyways. Journal ofAvian Biology 33:15–22
RUBOLINI D, SPINA F AND SAINO N (2005) Correlates oftiming of spring migration in birds: a comparativestudy of trans-Saharan migrants. Biological Journalof the Linnean Society 85:199–210
RUELAS INZUNZA E, HOFFMAN SW AND GOODRICH LJ(2005) Stopover ecology of Neotropical migrants incentral Veracruz, Mexico. Pp. 657–672 in: RALPH CJAND RICH TD (eds) Bird conservation implementationand integration in the Americas. General TechnicalReport PSW-GTR-191, Pacific Southwest ResearchStation, USDA Forest Service, Albany
RUSSELL KR AND GAUTHREAUX SA (1998) Use ofweather radar to characterize movements of roost-ing purple martins. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26:5–16
RUSSELL KR AND GAUTHREAUX SA (1999) Spatial andtemporal dynamics of a Purple Martin pre-migra-tory roost. Wilson Bulletin 111:354–362
RUSSELL KR, MIZRAHI DS AND GAUTHREAUX SA JR(1998a) Large-scale mapping of Purple Martinpremigratory roosts using WSR-88D weathersurveillance radar. Journal of Field Ornithology69:316–325, 69:509
RUSSELL RW (2005) Interactions between migrating birdsand offshore oil and gas platforms in the northern Gulf ofMexico. Final Report. OCS Study MMS 2005-009, Gulfof Mexico OCS Region, Minerals ManagementService, United States Department of the Interior,New Orleans
SAFRAN RJ (2004) Adaptive site selection rules andvariation in group size of Barn Swallows: individualdecisions predict population patterns. AmericanNaturalist 164:121–131
SAFRAN RJ AND MCGRAW KJ (2004) Plumage colora-tion, not length or symmetry of tail-streamers, is asexually selected trait in North American barnswallows. Behavioral Ecology 15:455–461
SAFRAN RJ, NEUMAN CR, MCGRAW KJ AND LOVETTE IJ(2005) Dynamic paternity allocation as a functionof male plumage color in barn swallows. Science309:2210–2212
SCHMALJOHANN H, LIECHTI F AND BRUDERER B (2007)Songbird migration across the Sahara: the non-stophypothesis rejected! Proceedings of the Royal Societyof London B 274:735–739
SHELDON FH, WHITTINGHAM LA, MOYLE RG, SLIKASB AND WINKLER DW (2005) Phylogeny of swallows(Aves: Hirundinidae) estimated from nuclear andmitochondrial DNA sequences. MolecularPhylogenetics and Evolution 35:254–270
SKUTCH AF (1960) Life histories of Central Americanbirds, II. Family Hirundinidae. Pacific Coast Avifauna34:265–286
STOKKE BG, MØLLER AP, SAETHER BE, RHEINWALD GAND GUTSCHER H (2005) Weather in the breedingarea and during migration affects the demogra-phy of a small long-distance passerine migrant.Auk 122:637–647
STUTCHBURY BJ AND ROHWER S (1990) Molt patterns inthe Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor). CanadianJournal of Zoology 68:1468–1472
SZEP T (1995) Survival rates of Hungarian sandmartins and their relationship with Sahel rainfall.Journal of Applied Statistics 22:891–904
TAYLOR LR (1974) Insect migration, flight periodicity andboundary-layer. Journal of Animal Ecology 43:225–238
TURNER A AND ROSE C (1989) A handbook to the swallowsand martins of the world. Christopher Helm, London
TURNER AK (1982) Optimal foraging by the Swallow(Hirundo rustica, L). Prey size selection. AnimalBehaviour 30:862–872
TURNER AK (2004) Family Hirundinidae (swallowsand martins). Pp. 602–685 in: DEL HOYO J, ELLIOTT AAND CHRISTIE DA (eds) Handbook of the birds of theworld. Volume 9. Cotingas to pipits and wagtails. LynxEdicions, Barcelona
WINKLER DW (2000) The phylogenetic approach toavian life histories: an important complement towithin-population studies. Condor 102:52–59
WINKLER DW AND ALLEN PE (1996) The seasonaldecline in tree swallow clutch size: physiologicalconstraint or strategic adjustment? Ecology77:922–932
YUNICK RP (1977) A Caribbean Barn Swallowrecovery. Auk 94:149–150
YURI T AND ROHWER S (1997) Molt and migration inthe Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Auk114:249–262

How to cite

David W. Winkler (2006). Roosts and migrations of swallows. El Hornero, Vol. 21 No. 2 (2006), 85-97. https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v21i2.790

Downloads

4191Abstract views

1Formats

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

[1] ARDIA DR, SCHAT KA AND WINKLER DW (2003) Repro-ductive effort reduces long-term immune functionin breeding tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor).Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B270:1679–1683

[2] BELTON W (1985) Birds of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Part 2. Formicariidae through Corvidae. Bulletin ofthe American Museum of Natural History 180:1–241

[3] BIJLSMA RG ANDVA NDEN BRINK B (2005) A BarnSwallow Hirundo rustica roost under attack: timingand risks in the presence of African Hobbies Falcocuvieri. Ardea 93:37–48

[4] VA NDEN BRINK B, BIJLSMA RG ANDVA NDER HAV E TM(2000) European Swallows Hirundo rustica inBotswana during three non-breeding seasons: theeffects of rainfall on moult. Ostrich 71:198–204

[5] BRITISH TRUSTFOR ORNITHOLOGY (2006) SwallowRoost Project. (URL: http://www.bto.org/ringing/swallowroostproject/index.htm)

[6] BROWN CR AND BROWN MB (1996) Coloniality in theCliff Swallow. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

[7] BROWN CR AND BROWN MB (1999) Barn Swallow(Hirundo rustica). Pp. 1–32 in: POOLE A AND GILL F(eds) The birds of North America. Academy of Natu-ral Sciences and American Ornithologists’ Union,Philadelphia and Washington DC

[8] BRYANT DM AND TURNER AK (1982) Central placeforaging by swallows (Hirundinidae): the questionof load size. Animal Behaviour 30:845–856

[9] BURNESS GP, YDENBERG RC AND HOCHACHKA PW (2001)Physiological and biochemical correlates of broodsize and energy expenditure in tree swallows.Journal of Experimental Biology 204:1491–1501

[10] BURNEY CW (2002) A study of swallow roosts found inthe Eastern United States. MSc thesis. Cornell Uni-versity, Ithaca

[11] CRAMP S (1988) The Birds of the Western Palearctic.Oxford University Press, Oxford

[12] CZARNOWSKI MR, LOMBARDO MP, POWER HW ANDHASSELQUIST D (2004) Sudden energetic deficit inmale tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) has negli-gible effect on immunocompetence and gluco-corticosteroid levels. Integrative and ComparativeBiology 44:543–543

[13] GATTER VW AND BEHRNDT M (1985) Unterschiedlichetageszeitliche Zugmuster alter und junger Vogel amBeispiel der Rauchschwalbe (Hirundo rustica).Vogelwarte 33:115–120

[14] GLICK P (1939) The distribution of insects, spiders andmites in the air. United States Department of Agricul-ture Technical Bulletin 673:1–150

[15] GRIFFIN B, CLARK J AND ROBINSON RE (2005) SwallowRoost Project Newsletter. British Trust for Ornithology,Thetford

[16] HAILMAN JP (1962) Direct evidence for trans-Caribbean migratory flights of swallows anddragonflies. American Midland Naturalist68:430–433

[17] HASSELQUIST D, WASSON MF AND WINKLER DW (2001)Humoral immunocompetence correlates with dateof egg-laying and reflects work load in female treeswallows. Behavioral Ecology 12:93–97

[18] HILL JR III (1995) Thousands of martins killed by hailin Brazilian tornado. Purple Martin Update 6:2–3

[19] HOOGLAND JL AND SHERMAN PW (1976) Advantagesand disadvantages of Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia)coloniality. Ecological Monographs 46:33–58HUIN N AND SPARKS TH (1998) Arrival and progres-sion of the Swallow Hirundo rustica through Britain.Bird Study 45:361–370

[20] LOMBARDO MP, GREEN ML, THORPE PA, CZARNOWSKIMR AND POWER HW (2004) Repeated samplingaffects Tree Swallow semen characteristics. Journalof Field Ornithology 75:394–403

[21] LYULEEVA DS (1973) Features of swallow biologyduring migration. Pp. 219–272 in: BYKHOVSKII BE (ed)Bird migrations: ecological and physiological factors. JohnWiley & Sons, New York

[22] MACLEAN GL (1988) Roberts’ birds of southern Africa.New Holland, London

[23] MARTÍNEZ MM (1983) Nidificación de Hirundo rusticaerythrogaster (Boddaert) en la Argentina (Aves,Hirundinidae). Neotropica 29:83–86

[24] MCCARTY JP AND WINKLER DW (1999) Foraging ecol-ogy and diet selectivity of tree swallows feedingnestlings. Condor 101:246–254

[25] MCLACHLAN GR AND LIVERSIDGE R (1957) Roberts birds ofSouth Africa. South African Bird Book Fund, Cape Town

[26] MEAD CJ AND HARRISON JD (1979) Sand Martin move-ments within Britain and Ireland. Bird Study 26:73–86

[27] MØLLER AP (1987) The advantages and disadvantagesof coloniality in the swallow Hirundo rustica. AnimalBehaviour 35:819–832

[28] MOREAU RE (1961) Problems of Mediterranean-Saharan migration. Ibis 103a:373–427, 103a:580–623

[29] MOREAU RE (1972) The Palearctic-African bird migrationsystems. Academic Press, London

[30] OATLEY TB (2000) Migrant European SwallowsHirundo rustica in southern Africa: a southern pers-pective. Ostrich 71:205–209

[31] OREN DC (1980) Enormous concentration of martins(Progne spp.) in Iquitos, Peru. Condor 82:344–345

[32] ORMEROD SJ (1991) Pre-migratory and migratorymovements of Swallows Hirundo rustica in Britainand Ireland. Bird Study 38:170–178

[33] PHILLIPS AR (1986) The known birds of North and MiddleAmerica. Part I. Private edition, Denver

[34] PILASTRO A AND MAGNANI A (1997) Weather conditionsand fat accumulation dynamics in pre-migratoryroosting Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica. Journal ofAvian Biology 28:338–344

[35] PURPLE MARTIN CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (2005)Project Martin Roost (URL: http://www.purplemartin.org/roost/)

[36] RUBOLINI D, MASSI A AND SPINA F (2002a) Replacementof body feathers is associated with low premigra-tory energy stores in a long-distance migratory bird,the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). Journal of Zoology258:441–447

[37] RUBOLINI D, PASTOR AG, PILASTRO A AND SPINA F(2002b) Ecological barriers shaping fuel stores inBarn Swallows Hirundo rustica following the cen-tral and western Mediterranean flyways. Journal ofAvian Biology 33:15–22

[38] RUBOLINI D, SPINA F AND SAINO N (2005) Correlates oftiming of spring migration in birds: a comparativestudy of trans-Saharan migrants. Biological Journalof the Linnean Society 85:199–210

[39] RUELAS INZUNZA E, HOFFMAN SW AND GOODRICH LJ(2005) Stopover ecology of Neotropical migrants incentral Veracruz, Mexico. Pp. 657–672 in: RALPH CJAND RICH TD (eds) Bird conservation implementationand integration in the Americas. General TechnicalReport PSW-GTR-191, Pacific Southwest ResearchStation, USDA Forest Service, Albany

[40] RUSSELL KR AND GAUTHREAUX SA (1998) Use ofweather radar to characterize movements of roost-ing purple martins. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26:5–16

[41] RUSSELL KR AND GAUTHREAUX SA (1999) Spatial andtemporal dynamics of a Purple Martin pre-migra-tory roost. Wilson Bulletin 111:354–362

[42] RUSSELL KR, MIZRAHI DS AND GAUTHREAUX SA JR(1998a) Large-scale mapping of Purple Martinpremigratory roosts using WSR-88D weathersurveillance radar. Journal of Field Ornithology69:316–325, 69:509

[43] RUSSELL RW (2005) Interactions between migrating birdsand offshore oil and gas platforms in the northern Gulf ofMexico. Final Report. OCS Study MMS 2005-009, Gulfof Mexico OCS Region, Minerals ManagementService, United States Department of the Interior,New Orleans

[44] SAFRAN RJ (2004) Adaptive site selection rules andvariation in group size of Barn Swallows: individualdecisions predict population patterns. AmericanNaturalist 164:121–131

[45] SAFRAN RJ AND MCGRAW KJ (2004) Plumage colora-tion, not length or symmetry of tail-streamers, is asexually selected trait in North American barnswallows. Behavioral Ecology 15:455–461

[46] SAFRAN RJ, NEUMAN CR, MCGRAW KJ AND LOVETTE IJ(2005) Dynamic paternity allocation as a functionof male plumage color in barn swallows. Science309:2210–2212

[47] SCHMALJOHANN H, LIECHTI F AND BRUDERER B (2007)Songbird migration across the Sahara: the non-stophypothesis rejected! Proceedings of the Royal Societyof London B 274:735–739

[48] SHELDON FH, WHITTINGHAM LA, MOYLE RG, SLIKASB AND WINKLER DW (2005) Phylogeny of swallows(Aves: Hirundinidae) estimated from nuclear andmitochondrial DNA sequences. MolecularPhylogenetics and Evolution 35:254–270

[49] SKUTCH AF (1960) Life histories of Central Americanbirds, II. Family Hirundinidae. Pacific Coast Avifauna34:265–286

[50] STOKKE BG, MØLLER AP, SAETHER BE, RHEINWALD GAND GUTSCHER H (2005) Weather in the breedingarea and during migration affects the demogra-phy of a small long-distance passerine migrant.Auk 122:637–647

[51] STUTCHBURY BJ AND ROHWER S (1990) Molt patterns inthe Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor). CanadianJournal of Zoology 68:1468–1472

[52] SZEP T (1995) Survival rates of Hungarian sandmartins and their relationship with Sahel rainfall.Journal of Applied Statistics 22:891–904

[53] TAYLOR LR (1974) Insect migration, flight periodicity andboundary-layer. Journal of Animal Ecology 43:225–238

[54] TURNER A AND ROSE C (1989) A handbook to the swallowsand martins of the world. Christopher Helm, London

[55] TURNER AK (1982) Optimal foraging by the Swallow(Hirundo rustica, L). Prey size selection. AnimalBehaviour 30:862–872

[56] TURNER AK (2004) Family Hirundinidae (swallowsand martins). Pp. 602–685 in: DEL HOYO J, ELLIOTT AAND CHRISTIE DA (eds) Handbook of the birds of theworld. Volume 9. Cotingas to pipits and wagtails. LynxEdicions, Barcelona

[57] WINKLER DW (2000) The phylogenetic approach toavian life histories: an important complement towithin-population studies. Condor 102:52–59

[58] WINKLER DW AND ALLEN PE (1996) The seasonaldecline in tree swallow clutch size: physiologicalconstraint or strategic adjustment? Ecology77:922–932

[59] YUNICK RP (1977) A Caribbean Barn Swallowrecovery. Auk 94:149–150

[60] YURI T AND ROHWER S (1997) Molt and migration inthe Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Auk114:249–262