Cliff Swallows

We’re at the edge of an alpine lake, when some fluttering at a mud puddle catches our attention. A group of cliff swallows is scooping up bits of mud, rising as a group when someone walks by and returning to the puddle. These birds are very social, nesting in groups of up to a thousand. Each bird is scooping hefty mouthfuls of mud, not to eat, but to bring back to the eaves of the lodge here at Many Glacier. There is some speculation that all this fluttering keeps the wing and tail feathers out of the mud. Both males and females participate in nest building, shaking the mud ball so it adheres closely to the substance around it. Each dome shaped nest is made of hundreds of these mudballs, glued together to make a solid foundation. Even though they nest closely together, they might steal mudballs from a neighboring nest or squabble over territory.