When Cliff Swallows arrive on the breeding grounds in North America, the dirty work begins. The swallows scoop up mud in their beaks and carefully build a gourd-shaped nest with a tapered opening. They add a lining of dry grass to keep eggs warm. It takes days of work and a thousand mouthfuls of mud to finish a single nest—and it’s just one part of a large colony.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks.
BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
Ducks That Whistle
Bohemian Waxwings – Exquisite Winter Visitors
The Tui of New Zealand
Why Is My Robin Half White?
Welcoming Back Common Loons
Groove-billed Anis, Communal Nesters
Protecting Rivers and Eagles from Invasive Plants
The Heart of a Bird
The Majestic Gyrfalcon
A Murder, a Party, a Stare or a Siege
A Tool-Using Nuthatch
Find a Volunteer Opportunity that Works for You
Keeping Cats Indoors
Nest Boxes for All Sorts of Birds
eBird: Contribute to Science While Birding
One Million People Taking Action for Birds
Common Murre, Underwater Flyer
Kinglets in Winter
Frigatebirds' Kleptoparasitism
The Secret Stash of Eggshells
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Sasquatch Chronicles
The Confessionals
Radiolab
Sasquatch Odyssey
Science Friday