Editor’s note: Echo’s Winged Wednesday series reports on expert birders’ favorite Great Lakes birds to watch. Tell us your favorites in the comments.
Richard A. Wolinski has an affinity for swallows that goes back to his undergraduate days when they were among the first few birds that he banded.
“Swallows exhibit a diversity in behaviors, with purple martins being the largest and also the most friendly in terms of their interactions with humans,” said Wolinski, a wildlife ecologist for the Michigan Department of Transportation. “They’re particularly tolerant, and their use of cavities is restricted to human-supplied housing. You can bring them right out into your backyard. They’re very tolerant of having their human hosts at hand.”
Barn swallows have a huge range, including almost all of the United States and parts of Canada. Photo: Malene Thyssen
Wolinski also recommends scouting for barn swallows. This brown and blue bird travels incredibly long distances and is native to North America. Smaller than their purple martin cousin, barn swallows prefer suburban areas and wet marshlands.
And while you’re checking those out, keep your eyes peeled for tree swallows, which are about the same size but have a metallic blue color, Wolinski said. They have a bright white underbelly and can live much further north than other swallows during cold winter months because they don’t rely on insects as food.
Though most swallows migrate south during the winter to find sufficient insects to eat, they’re a great sight during the summer when bugs are bountiful.
Next week: The picks of Michigan State University doctoral student Steve Roels