The Bank Swallows of East Point
Bank Swallows flying along the bluffs The Bank Swallow; Riparia Riparia Status in Ontario: Threatened Location: East Point Park and Bird Sanctuary East Scarborough, Toronto Ontario “Threatened ” means the species lives in the wild but is likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it. A few facts about this delightful song bird: Bank Swallows nest in burrows along vertical faces of silt, sand or clay. Territories may support colonies of 10 to 2,000 nests with burrows 2-3 ft deep Bank Swallows are extremely social birds. They are seldom alone when outside the nest and because of this close proximity, they have developed many complex social behaviours A small songbird, the Bank Swallow is distinguished in flight by its quick, erratic wing beats. They fly shallow typically gliding for 2 seconds at a time An Aerial Insectivore, the Bank Swallow catches and feeds on insects in flight The cause f...