Showing up in downtown Borden in the spring of 2004, the cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) started setting up nests around the R.M. office and Foster’s store. At first looked upon as being a nuisance, efforts were made to remove their nests and to discourage the birds from the downtown area. After countless of times to stop the birds from nesting, the swallows were left to their own and settled to nest mostly on Foster’s store and the Post Office, although there are a few on the R.M Office as well as other buildings.

The swallow has a dull forehead; blue-black back, crown, wings and tail; brownish red face and throat; and a white belly and a pale yellow rump. The tail is squared off whereas the barn swallow’s tail is forked.The nest of the swallow is made of mud pellets and grass, lined with soft grass or feathers and is usually attached to the outside overhang of a building.Although an occasional solitaire nest may be attached to a porch or building, the birds generally nest in colonies.few nest scattered about the museum and other shops downtown.

A swallow will lay four to five eggs that will be white, cream or pale pink with some having brown spots. The eggs will take 12 to 14 days to hatch with the fledglings leaving the nest after 25 days. There has been a decline in cliff swallow populations in recent years and is believed attributable to the House Sparrow taking over the nests and competing for food.

Although a small bird (13 to 15 cm) these birds spend the summer in North America and winter in South America. They have a flight speed of 15 – 45 mph and feed mostly on flying insects. The life span of a cliff swallow is four to six years.