By Tony Gazso, Interpretive Naturalist

The arrival of spring brings with it the return of our area’s masters of aerobatics–swallows! These sleek, fast-moving birds can be seen throughout the county zipping quickly over fields and waterbodies nabbing up pesky insects like mosquitoes! Quick and super agile, swallows are one of the most entertaining birds to watch. There are six swallow species (and one swift) seen regularly in Lake County. Below is a bit about each, and some spots in Lake Metroparks to see them in action!

Barn Swallow: One of the most well-known swallows in our area is the barn swallow. A dark metallic blue above and rusty orange below, these swallows can be seen zipping over fields in search of insects. Often, they’re seen following lawn mowers in agricultural fields nabbing bugs kicked up by the tractors. Barn swallows make mud nests that they place in manmade structures like barns (hence their name), as well as other buildings and bridges. Barn swallows can be seen in many parks including Veterans Park, Lake Erie Bluffs, Penitentiary Glen Reservation, and Beaty Landing.

Cliff Swallow: Similar in appearance to barn swallows, cliff swallows can be identified by their cream bellies, light-colored foreheads and rump patches, and shorter tails. Cliff swallows are a species that has benefited from human development, originally found nesting in cliffs in western North America. Their range has expanded into much of the eastern United States, where they make their mud nests on bridge overpasses and other manmade structures. The best place in Lake Metroparks to get an up-close look at these birds (and their nests) is Grand River Landing. They also nest at Beaty Landing.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow: The drabbest of Ohio’s swallows, the Northern rough-winged swallow is brown above with a buff-colored belly. Northern rough-winged swallows are most commonly seen near water, flying low over ponds and rivers in search of insects. They nest in burrows that have been created by other animals, typically in banks and shale bluffs. Look for Northern rough-winged swallows at Beaty Landing, Pleasant Valley Park, and Chagrin River Park among others.

Bank Swallow: Bank swallows are similar in coloration to Northern rough-winged swallows but can be distinguished by the dark bands across their breasts. Like rough-winged swallows, bank swallows nest in burrows inside riverbanks and bluffs. Like most swallows, they nest in large colonies. Bank swallows can be found at Lakeshore Reservation and Lake Erie Bluffs.

Tree Swallow: Tree swallows are one of the first swallows to return in the spring. They are a bright metallic blue (sometime turquoise) with snow-white bellies. Tree swallows love open fields and nest in tree hollows and cavities. They will often take up residence in bluebird nest boxes as they live in similar habitats. Tree swallows are common at Chagrin River Park, Lake Erie Bluffs, and Girdled Road Reservation.

Purple Martin: The largest swallow in Ohio, the purple martin is metallic dark blue or indigo and can look black in low lighting. Purple martins are known for nesting within special purple martin nest boxes shaped like gourds. Actual gourds were used by indigenous people as martin boxes before European settlement and today the birds in the eastern United States nest almost exclusively in them, though they still nest in naturally found cavities out west. In early fall, purple martins throughout the region meet up in a huge flock before heading south together. Established purple martin colonies can be seen at Penitentiary Glen Reservation and Chagrin River Park.

Chimney Swift: Chimney swifts are not swallows. In fact, they aren’t even closely related to them despite having similar size, shape, and behaviors. Swifts and swallows are an excellent example of convergent evolution; when two distantly related animals evolve the same adaptations separate from each other. Fun fact: the chimney swift’s closest Ohio relative taxonomically is the ruby-throated hummingbird! Chimney swifts can be seen flying high overhead throughout all Lake Metroparks properties and look like cigars with curved pointed wings. Chimney swifts rarely land and can even sleep while in flight!