The American cliff swallow feeds entirely on insects caught in
flight. The bird chases after flying ants, wasps, grasshoppers,
dragonflies, mosquitoes and beetles, including the destructive
cotton-boll weevils; the swallow’s menu includes 84 insect
families from 10 orders. The bird holds its tiny, gaping mouth as
wide as it can to scoop up hundreds of insects as it darts along.
Foraging in large groups of up to 2,000 birds, the cliff swallow
searches for swarms of insects.
The birds tend to focus on areas
of relatively high altitudes; however, in cool and cloudy weather
the cliff swallows feed just above the ground or water surface
due to lack of visibility and decreased availability of swarming
insects. In this damp and dreary climate, the bird tends to forage
alone. Groups always tend to follow each other; if one is feeding
on a big swarm, another will follow to scout out the area. This
holds true for solitary feeding birds as well. American cliff
swallows never have a problem sharing their food sources.
0 comentarii:
Trimiteți un comentariu