It's A Burb's Life!

It's A Burb's Life!

SWALLOWS. Swallows, of the family Hirundinidae, are among the most conspicuous, well known, and beneficial of birds; they feed in flight on numerous insects detrimental to man. Most have developed close associations with man and his works, constructing their nests on bridges and buildings or within highway culverts and birdhouses. They are streamlined in form, with relatively long, pointed wings and small feet, and usually average between five and six inches in length. Snakes, hawks, and owls appear to be their major natural predators. All swallows are protected by federal and state law.

Cliff Swallows:The cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) of Texas
usually rear only one brood (three to five young) per season and leave their breeding sites early. The mud nests of cliff swallows are built in conspicuous locations beneath elevated rocky ledges and bridges or on buildings; they can be identified by their globular shape and tubular entrances.