Swallow Play (1 Viewer)

[vaubu]

I'm looking for help to understand something. This summer, on a couple of occasions in a couple of locations, I've seen swallows foraging over ponds and they appear to be 'playing pass' with goose/duck feathers. Does this ring true? I could believe that it is more likely that they were in the process of building nests, but it didn't appear that way.

 

[fugl]

I'm looking for help to understand something. This summer, on a couple of occasions in a couple of locations, I've seen swallows foraging over ponds and they appear to be 'playing pass' with goose/duck feathers. Does this ring true? I could believe that it is more likely that they were in the process of building nests, but it didn't appear that way.

I think what you've described is nest-related all right, not just play. I've seen other birds--mourning doves come to mind--behaving in similar ways with potential nest material, picking up a straw or two, carrying it about for a while & then dropping it, as if "forgetting" what it was they were doing with it in the first place. Eventually in such cases, after the hormones well & truly kick in, the birds settle down & start nest building in earnest.

 

[vaubu]

I think what you've described is nest-related all right, not just play. I've seen other birds--mourning doves come to mind--behaving in similar ways with potential nest material, picking up a straw or two, carrying it about for a while & then dropping it, as if "forgetting" what is it was doing with it in the first place. Eventually in such cases, after the hormones well & truly kick in, the birds settle down & start nest building in earnest.

Thank you for your response fugl, I can understand it as that for sure, it's still early enough in 'the season' that the breeding behavior hasn't entirely kicked in. Thanks again for your response.