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((birds chirping))
[Cullen Hanks] One of the best places to see cliff swallows
is close to water and where there are bridges.
((birds chirping))
[Cullen Hanks] During nesting season you can see sometimes
going over these bridges you'll see these large swarms.
((truck passing))
[Cullen Hanks] It seems like they know how to avoid the trucks.
Doesn't seem to bother them.
((traffic and birds))
[Cullen Hanks] They do like to nest together, they can nest
alone, but cliff swallows definitely like to nest together, and you can have nesting
colonies that can be in the thousands.
((birds))
[Cullen Hanks] Cliff swallows like to nest in a little mud
house. They use mud and create not just a cup but they actually create a kind of roof.
[Cullen Hanks] Before there were bridges, cliff swallows
nested on cliffs, and still do. They are protected from the elements because they're underneath
an overhang, so predators have a hard time getting to it. By building bridges, we essentially
recreated those conditions. Many of our bridges have really nice overhangs and these are conveniently
located close to creeks or rivers.
((water and birds))
[Cullen Hanks] They're aerial insectivores, which means that
they fly around catching insects as they fly.
((birds chirping))
[Cullen Hanks] Their mouth is quite large, and so it makes
it easier for them to actually catch the insects on the wing. There's not a lot of swallows
in the winter time because you don't have a lot of insects in the air.
((birds))
[Cullen Hanks] Around cities and any kind of development,
oftentimes you are removing habitat, but because of bridges, you have many more places that
cliff swallows can nest.
((birds))
[Cullen Hanks] The flight of a swallow is so impressive,
they're amazing flyers, and they're beautiful to watch.