Thursday 22 July 2010

Cliff Swallow at Chakrata



Recently when I was trekking from Chakrata town (Chakrata is in Uttrakhand state of India) to the Tiger Falls, a distance of approximately 12 kms (to and fro) I stopped at a tea stall (the only one on the route) I saw this mud structure hanging from the walls of the shop and I thought that may be it is a termite nest.


The Nest which looked like a termite nest from far

To my surprise I saw a bird going and vanishing in this structure -

The Cliff Swallow

When I went closer I saw that it is not a termite nest but a mud nest which had a opening where the bird had disappeared. Then I realised that it is a mud nest made of thousands of mud pellets and the bird is probably called the Cliff Swallow. For building their habitat they need a nearby mud source. The food is insects which they capture in flight.

The Nest of the Cliff Swallow