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Message from the researcher
The work of citizen scientists, such as those who contribute to NestWatch, is what makes our research possible. Because of the efforts of nest monitors, we are able to look at patterns over long periods of time and large geographic areas.
Nest Quest Go: Swifts and SwallowsAbout Nest Quest Go: Swifts and Swallows
Join the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Citizen-Science Project, NestWatch in understanding the historical nesting patterns of Swifts and Swallows, including the Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-Winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Vaux's Swift, Black Swift, Chimney Swift, and White-throated Swift. Swallows nest in nearly any cavity they can find, no matter how unconventional the nesting site is. This often means they are found nesting in dead tree or cliff cavities, old woodpecker cavities, holes in the ground, or old nesting sites from other swallows, forming their nests out of grass, twigs, and feathers. Swifts, however, build their nests primarily out of twigs and mud, using their amazing glue-like saliva to hold the twigs together.
These nest record cards are a subset of a larger collection of more than 300,000 nest records that NestWatch is working on digitizing and transcribing. Valuable scientific questions can be asked and answered regarding the nesting behavior of birds over time by examining historical records. We hope to bring new discoveries to light using these previously hidden datasets.