Noticing Nature #23 : Swifts, Martins & Swallows, Nightjars, Kingfishers with (and why not) Hummingbirds
Wed 18 February
Swifts, Martins & Swallows
A group that is limited in number of species hereabouts, but always a joy to see. They are obligate insectivores and for many reasons, climate change, habitat loss, disappearing insect populations, are becoming more and more vulnerable. They are small to medium‑sized birds with streamlined bodies, long pointed wings, and forked tails adapted for agile, sustained flight. They feed primarily on insects caught ion the wing. In my area we have Chimney Swift, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow and Barn Swallow. Some, mostly the Tree Swallow being more common than the others. All are in the family Hirundidae - except for the Swifts which are Apodiformes, a separate, convergent, line of evolution. Interestingly, Swifts are more closely related to Hummingbirds than to Swallows.
Numbers have markedly fallen in recent years as the insects they rely on to eat have also exhibited population crashes with climate change and pesticide use. This is especially evident with the Purple Martins which regularly nested and raised young in special nesting “condo” units erected in the grounds of the Baie-D’Urfé town hall by Bird Protection Quebec. The summer of 2019 was perhaps the last time they visited and nested and similar patterns have been observed elsewhere. The nearest Purple Martins are still being seen in a much larger nesting unit on the lakeshore in Pointe Claire (see p-hoto below) but even their numbers are declining.
Cliff Swallows make characteristic mud nests that can be observed under the dome of the weather radar beside the Arboretum entrance road and they can be seen in the skies all around while Barn Swallows, of course, are to be seen around the hoop-roofed barns to the west of the same road.
Tree Swallows are everywhere there are flying insects and make use of nesting boxes placed in the arboretum and similar areas. The other species are less common but occasionally reported.
Chimney Swifts may, with luck, be seen flying overhead and can be easily identified by the characteristic cigar shape of their bodies. They have a night roost in the tall chimney above the heating plant on the Macdonald campus just west of the Baie-D’Urfé town boundary and if you wait at dusk you may be lucky enough to see them swooping into the chimney for the night.
Barn Swallow
Barn swallows breed throughout much of southern Canada but they spend the winter far away, typically in South America. Some individuals travel more than 15,000 kilometers each year, making the round‑trip one of the longest migrations of any small passerine. Because they rely on warm temperatures to fuel their insect diet, barn swallows’ arrival dates in Canada have been shifting northward in recent decades. Studies show that in many regions they’re arriving a week earlier than they did a few decades ago - an indicator, if ever there was one, of changing climate patterns.
Nests are often attached to human structures such as under eaves, bridges, in barns, and the undersides of bridges - taking advantage of the shelter and the insects that might be attracted to those sites.
Common Nighthawk
Nighthawks are sometimes here in small numbers, you might see them, you will more probably hear them. Like the Hirundidae, they are affected by habitat loss and agricultural development, but the biggest is pesticide use. Large-scale farms use more and more pesticides, killing the insects that make up their diet.
Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) are a crepuscular species - which is to say the fly at dusk and dawn for the most part, with interesting adaptations to life after dark. Their mottled brown and gray plumage provides perfect camouflage when they hunt, and allows them to blend into the ground while roosting during daylight hours. Unlike many birds, nighthawks lack a distinct song; instead, they communicate with a series of soft, mechanical “peent” calls and a distinctive, booming wing‑beat sound produced during their aerial displays.
Their large mouths act as efficient insect‑catchers, allowing them to scoop up moths, beetles, and flying ants while on the wing. They have very keen eyesight adapted to low‑light conditions and a highly flexible neck that can swivel nearly 180°
For obvious reasons, this is a species of bird that I have not got a photograph of
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are seen every year although most of the population breeds a bit further north. In general they appear in early and late summer as they pass through the area though there is evidence that a few may stay in the arboretum. They can be enjoyed in most gardens if there are the things they need to feed from - you can install a specialized hummingbird feeder and fill it with sugar syrup (no need to waste money on purchased Hummer food as it’s just sugar syrup plus red dye usually). You can grow the sort of flowers they are drawn to … amongst the best are red Monarda (aka BeeBalm), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and pot-grown the Mexican cigar plant (Cuphea). Sometimes the best views of Hummingbirds in my own garden are just after rain or, discovered by chance, if a sprinkler is watering over the Monarda flowers, they seem to love showers.
Around here we usually expect the birds to arrive in middle to late May, more or less coinciding with especially nectar‑rich flowers. Most probably pass through to nest further north but some nest around here if only because they hang around the garden for such a lengthy period. Females typically select a sheltered nook in the fork of a thin branch, often hidden among dense foliage of deciduous shrubs, small trees, or even ornamental garden plants like lilacs and dogwoods to build their tiny nests. Accoding to the Quebec Breeding Bird Atlas (2019) populations increased by 60% between 1990 and 2014 and doubled between1970 and 2014. It is suggested that this has been aided by increased appearance of Hummingbird garden feeders and a slower, but effective, increase in gardeners growing the nectar-rich plants they rely on. The Atlas notes that “this species has a generalist habitat requirement and its ability to coexist with humans should continue to serve it well into the future.”
Belted Kingfisher
The Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) lives along the banks of rivers, lakes, and in some coastal bays of eastern Canada. You might be drawn to finding one but their sharp, rattling territorial call in mixed‑wood forests adjacent to water. Females excavates a deep, tunnel‑like burrow into a vertical bank of sand, gravel, or soft clay, some 30 cm to a meter long, leading to a chamber lined with grass, moss, and feathers. These subterranean nests are placed just above the water’s edge and protect the eggs and young from predators while give the hatched birds easy access to the fish and aquatic insects that will sustain them as they grow.
The Makah are a First Nation on the Pacific Northwest and they have a tale that a human thief was punished by being turned into the first kingfisher - their “rattling” call and dramatic plunge being seen as symptomatic of the thief’s punishment and a warning against greed. Heaven knows why, but that’s folklore for you.
You are right - thanks, I will make an amendment!
I love the purple martin condo.
(Swifts aren't Hirundines, by the way, they're Apodiformes - not closely related, an example of convergent evolution)