[Tweeters] RE Decline in swallow numbers

[Jerry Tangren via Tweeters]

I apologize for not reading carefully all of the posts on this topic.

With all the suggested causes, I‘d like to add


  1.  urbanization and reduced populations of flying insects
  2.  Problems on the wintering grounds. Not sure how far our cold temperatures intruded south, but many swallows winter not too much farther south. However, it could be more than weather, but also an otherwise loss of food resources.


  *   Jerry Tangren

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Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 7:40:44 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Tweeters] RE Decline in swallow numbers


Hi Tweeters,

            I read with interest all the posts yesterday about the decline in swallow numbers.  We moved to Edmonds in 2017 and have had swallows around our house and down at the Edmonds marsh every year.  But I also sense that their numbers are dropping here.  Before 2020 we would have maybe 15 or 20 swallows flying over the trees between our house and Pine Ridge Park, not far away.  Now we are pleased to see 4 or 5.  Ours are always Violet-green.  We put up a swallow box a few years ago and have had swallows in it every year except when we had the heat dome at the end of June—was that in 2021?  Anyway after the heat dome, there were no insects and the swallows left for the year.

            My theory is that we have fewer insects now, perhaps because of insecticides or perhaps because of global warming.  Fewer insects means fewer swallows, I think.  The swallows this year didn’t begin nesting until June.  This was late—they are usually done nesting by mid-June.  The had at least one chick, but it got harder and harder for the parents to find insects for feed the chick.  The adults would be gone for long periods of time and finally we would see them far off hawking for a few bugs.  We think at least one chick fledged last week.

            Anyway, we probably need more insects!

Charlotte Byers, Edmonds
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