Friday's Foto

Barn Swallows are the only North American swallow with a deeply forked tail. This sparrow-sized swallow is the most abundant swallow species and is found world wide except for Antarctica and Australia. Primarily insectivores, they feed on beetles, crickets, flies, grasshoppers and other flying insects. One study found that a single individual could consume, on average, 60 insects per hour or nearly 6,000 per week. Motivating Barn Swallows to nest within our city's parks is probably a better solution to summer mosquitoes than insecticides. They build their mud and saliva nests mainly on man-made structures.