Barn Swallow Nest

Did you know that all the swallow and martin species that occur in Portugal have different nesting habits? And that it's possible to identify which species of swallow a particular nest corresponds to?

In the case of the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), the nests are small open bowls built with mud and straw and can be found in roofs, outbuildings or house façades, usually on urban peripheries or in rural areas. Although Barn Swallows nest solitarily, in occasional cases they can form small colonies.

If you come across one of these nests, or any other swallow or martin, record it on the website and help us conserve these birds!

Registration of nests and colonies

Help us record swallow and swift nests! With the start of a new nesting season, the swallows are already in a hustle and bustle and soon it will be the swifts' turn.

Knowing and protecting the places where these birds nest is crucial for their conservation! So, for the second year running, the andorin is asking for everyone's co-operation in this national nest registration campaign.

This year the andorin has the collaboration of the Environment Division of the municipality of Caldas da Rainha, who are promoting the nest registration campaign through the "Here there is a Swallow" initiative.

If you too have a swallow's nest at home, know of a swallow colony or live near a castle or wall where you can see flocks of swifts, send us those records!

You can find the link to the form on the homepage of the andorin website!

Another parasite in Portugal!

All birds can have parasites, but birds that nest in colonies, such as many swallows and swifts, are more likely to live with this type of animal.

While some of these parasites are highly specialised in certain groups or even species of birds, others are generalists, such as Cimex hirundinis. This haematophagous insect parasitises more than 20 different species of birds, from swallows and swifts to lapwings, sparrows, starlings and woodpeckers.

A specimen of this species was discovered at the beginning of winter inside a residential building, in a room whose only window is located a few metres from a swallow's nest (Delichon urbicum). This record in Laborim de Baixo, Vila Nova de Gaia, confirms the literature on this parasite, which is known to hibernate in birds' nests and can sometimes enter houses.

This discovery by the Curator of Entomology at the Museum of Natural History and Science at the University of Porto, José Manuel Grosso-Silva, considerably extends the known distribution area of this species to the Iberian Peninsula.

Although parasites are common in birds, most of them pose no risk to human health. These animals are essential for biological diversity and the maintenance of natural ecosystems.