Looking to attrack some Barn Swallows...

[starling shooter]

Barns with hay lofts are rapidly a thing of the past. Nesting on a floor joist of a hay loft, a Barn Swallow was safe from predators (black snakes, cats, coons). A snake can't climb out horizontally and BS were safe.

Anyway, I've put up nest cups in the porch of my house. Had one pair nest briefly before abandoning. Anyone else tried to use a dawn song type tape of have any advice on going about this??

They are one of may favorite birds and remind me of my youth working in the hayfields. They would constantly buzz the wagons and balers looking for bugs stirred up...

[Jones4381]

I had on TS pair in a smaller gourd about 6 ft off the ground and 33 feet from my PM gourd rack and fledge 7 babies last year. Some good articles in here about tree swallows and how to attract but keep out of your PM housing ( I think its under the research tab). I like them because they are about a month earlier than the martins and a few weeks after the eastern bluebirds here in VA. I was lucky enough to hit the triple crown and watch the E. Bluebirds first, tree swallows second, and the PM's third. I put out 5 more gourds about 150 feet from one another in my field to hopefully get a few more TS pairs and grow my PM's as well by concentrating all my houses and gourds for PM within a 30 foot circle but at least 30' minimum from the PM's housing or the TS will try and take over those. I keep my PM housing closed and the TS go right to the smaller gourd and lesser height.

Bluebirds are a little more territorial and need to be 300 feet away from one another and I've put out 2 more houses of those hoping for more bluebirds.

Good luck on helping the TS.

[Tallsilver]

I would keep trying with the cups. I placed several on my porch about 3" from the ceiling. The first year had a pair late investigate several days but no nesting. Second year that pair came earlier and raised 2 clutches. Last year there were 2 pair nesting and both pairs had 2 clutches. So this year I'm putting up 3 nest and see what happens!!

So don't give up. Be sure to place the cup about 2 1/2" to 3" from ceiling to protect somewhat from owls.

Aaron Piver
SC

[Thomas Maddox]

Just bought a nest cup. It's made from cement resembling a mud nest and mounted on a small board that can be affixed to your home. I read to keep it 7-8 feet above the ground and place away from your nearest door as they may attack if you are too close to their nest. Also have a small mud source near as they like to add some to the nesting cup or platform.

[BrendaVR]

There is little information out there on attracting Barn Swallows sadly. I am with you, they are one of my favorites! (Barn and Tree Swallows are both fighting for leadership in my favorite bird...but I have not had the privilege of having martins ...).

I do remember a few years ago here in Ontario there was one group that tested using song and decoys to attract Barn Swallows to the replacement (artificial) nest site (mini barn like roof structure with nest cups inside. Barns being removed for development and the developer was required to build a "replacement structure"). I don't think there were enough replicates to draw real conclusions but the few sites that did use decoys did seem to attract birds to investigate at least. Nesting was mixed some sites with decoys had successful nests, some did not succeed. I think more studies need to be done but it does not look like the decoys do attract birds in. But I would say using decoys on an obvious perch location (not on the nest, but on the roof or a perch nearby) would draw birds in.

In my personal experience the artificial nest cups have been they are readily used at a site with existing nest sites. Construction meant the long existing nest was removed for a door replacement and we put up the wooden nest cups once construction was complete. I did smear mud on the wood of the cup to make them look "used". The birds readily used the wooden nest cup (and some new nests were later built as well). We placed them fairly close to the roof of the enclave, trying to leave just a bit more space between the top of the wooden cup and where the top of the previous natural nest had been. The birds did build up the lip of the nest cup with natural mud to make it higher and match the former natural nest height. The height is important but I find the proximity to the roof is more important (to "my" birds) than just the height. If the roof of overhang is 30 feet up I would put the nestcup up there, right under the roof or overhang ledge. But you could offer multiple options and see what your birds chose.

Regarding doors: Many Barn Swallows do seem to prefer to nest in doorways, possibly because the door enclave provides the best habitat (it is the largest roof overhang, many walls and so protected from wind). They do defend the nest but they will NOT "attack" people. They will constantly dive bomb but NEVER HIT a person. After 15 years of Barn Swallows nesting in two of the three doorways at work we have never had a person hit. Yes, they do always dive at us when nesting but just walking slow and steady and the birds never strike. People get scared but the birds are never deterred from nesting there. So if uninformed public complaints are an issue then for sure put the nestcups elsewhere...if it is just you, and do not plan to move anytime soon, then I would not worry to much (unless YOU are also upset by getting dive bombed....I've gotten use to it over the years and barely notice anymore, I actually enjoy talking to them as I come or go and the "regular" nesters know the route and don't bother diving at us if we stay in our designated lain ).

[Thomas Maddox]

Thanks for sharing Brenda! Do they like to have several other BS nests close by or will a single cup be enough to attract a pair? My wife likes having PMs and BBs , but she doesn't find their feces all over. I've read where the BSs leave messes in the area around their nest. I don't want to attract them and then have to remove the cup because my wife is unhappy. If it did happen, don't worry, I won't remove it until they are fully fledged.

[Jones4381]

Nice and thank you to all posters as I know nothing of Barn Swallows but I'm a quick learner on things like this so looking forward to learning and adding to the reads in the future. Great read so far.

[Tallsilver]

There is a FB group for barn swallows called Barn Swallow Loft that has some good info.

[BrendaVR]

Thanks for sharing Brenda! Do they like to have several other BS nests close by or will a single cup be enough to attract a pair? My wife likes having PMs and BBs , but she doesn't find their feces all over. I've read where the BSs leave messes in the area around their nest. I don't want to attract them and then have to remove the cup because my wife is unhappy. If it did happen, don't worry, I won't remove it until they are fully fledged.

We had only one nest for many many years so they can, and do, nest singly, but I think multiple nests are more attractive. If you have more I would put up a few and give them a choice of options.

Yes, they will leave a small pile of feces below the nest. It is usually a ~6 inch patch directly below the nest but occasionally you get some that drop it on the walls and leave a big "splash zone". So ya...I guess you would not want that near a main door. I tend to forget about that as it does not bother me at all if I am not stepping right in that spot (and its at work, not home). I have heard some people put up a "ledge" below the nest to catch the feces (but that does not really stop it from happening, just may be less noticeable?)...or put down some newspaper/cardboard ect and just switch it out every once and a while. It can build up if it is inside the barn or under a big overhang/entrance enclave. I think our maintenance guy just sweeps it away a few times a season. If it is in a spot that only has a small overhang then the rain tends to wash it all away and it does not build up to a noticeable pile.

[Tallsilver]

I've found that placing a piece of cardboard about 18" square under neath the nest, with a rock or something to keep it in place, makes cleanup much easier.

[Thomas Maddox]

Thanks for the replies. I put the cement nest cup on my back porch in a corner a few inches below the ceiling. I added a little mud around the edges to make it look used. I think that they return to this area sometime in March, so we'll see. If I get a pair, I'll update.

[birdman in buckhead]

I have no problem attracting barn swallows. They seem to be attracted to me! LOL! I like to watch the birds and I think they keep the mosquito population down since that feed much lower to the ground than martins. However, I can't deal with the mess they make! Not so much where they nest under the eave of my front porch, but they perch on a light fixture right above my front door. No, I'm not going to move the light, I just try to block the places where the birds nest.

The BS's can find a place to nest under my neighbor's front porches and they can clean up after them, and I'll listen to my neighbors complain about the mess while I tend to my nice and clean purple martins!