Pacific Swallows eat insects, catching them during flight. To feast on
swarmin g
insects, they may join other birds like Swifts. But unlike Swifts that
simply trawl the air with their mouths open, Swallows don't hunt on the
wing. They perch and wait, then actually chase after individual prey and
perform aerial acrobatics to catch them. Swallows also hunt at lower
levels than Swifts.
Unlike Swifts, Swallows can perch and also come to the ground to
drink or gather nesting material.
Pacific Swallows are found everywhere, but usually near water and
open country. In Singapore, they are particularly common along the
coasts, and also found in mangroves.
Migration? Pacific Swallows are resident. They are never found in
such huge flocks as the visiting Barn Swallows, which they closely
resemble.
Although they may feed together with Barn Swallows, they don't join
the Barn Swallows huge roosts.
Breeding: Resident Pacific Swallows nest on vertical surfaces with
overhangs to protect their mud nest (which would disintegrate in the
rain). These may be cliffs with an overhang but are often bridges, dams
and other man-made structures. But they shy away from humans and prefer
unoccupied buildings. They build solid nests out of mud pellets brought
by the beakful from puddles and river banks. Combined with dry grasses,
these pellets are arranged much like bricks to form shallow cups. These
may be lined with dry grass and feathers. At a particularly suitable
nest site, they may form large colonies. Usually 3 white eggs are laid.
These are long and pointed and have brown spots. |
