Purple Martin Week: The Swallows - Avian Aeronautical Marvels

Photo by John Gerwin Swallows refer to a group of insectivorous birds with some phenomenal flight abilities. Various species have been prominent in the stories of ancient cultures, and continue to fascinate us today. Swallows are songbirds that occur worldwide. There are ~90 species described, and as a group, swallows can be found almost anywhere on the planet, including over Antarctica once in a while. Many species are migratory and this is the case for those found in the U.S. 6 species breed in North Carolina – one of these only in a few NC locations. For this talk, John will discuss and show pictures of these 8 species, focusing on those 6 that breed in NC; how one might go about seeing them; how to attract some; and, to give equal time, how to dissuade them (a pair nesting on your porch can be messy). He has even promised, or threatened as it were, to consider this existential question: “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?” Please join us to learn more about airspeed velocity and other curious features about the lives of North Carolina’s swallows. Our Expert John Gerwin, Research Curator of Ornithology at NCMNS