How Swallows Adapted to Build Mud Nests

Swallows, martins and saw wings all belong to a family of passerine birds called the Hirundinidae, in which most members can build nests out of mud. These mud nests are usually attached to cliffs, bridges or buildings. Swallows are resourceful little birds, but how did this behavioural adaptation evolve?

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References:
Winkler DW & Sheldon FH. Evolution of nest construction in swallows (Hirundinidae): A molecular phylogenetic perspective. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1993;90:5705–5707.
Sheldon FH, et al. Phylogeny of swallows (Aves: Hirundinidae) estimated from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2005;35:254–270.
Smith CCR, et al. Demographic inference in barn swallows using whole genome data shows signal for bottleneck and subspecies differentiation during the Holocene. Mol Ecol 2018;27:4200–4212.
Cage and Aviary Birds. Nest evolution from ground to cavity. Available at: https://www.cageandaviarybirds.co.uk/.... Accessed May 2022.
Heneberg P. Soil penetrability as a key factor affecting the nesting of burrowing birds. Ecol Res 2009; 24:453–459.
Jung Y, et al. Avian mud nest architecture by self-secreted saliva. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2021;118:e2018509118.

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