Wheres Dinner
by Jean Noren
Title
Wheres Dinner
Artist
Jean Noren
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photograph
Description
A baby swallow awaiting dinner. For the most part swallows are insectivorous, taking flying insects on the wing. Across the whole family a wide range of insects are taken from most insect groups, but the composition of any one prey type in the diet varies by species and with the time of year. Individual species may be selective, they do not scoop up every insect around them, but instead select larger prey items than would be expected by random sampling. They also avoid certain prey types; in particular stinging insects such as bees and wasps are generally avoided. In addition to insect prey a number of species will occasionally consume fruits and other plant matter. The swallows generally forage for prey that is on the wing, but they will on occasion snap prey off branches or on the ground. The flight may be fast and involve a rapid succession of turns and banks when actively chasing fast moving prey; less agile prey may be caught with a slower more leisurely flight that includes flying in circles and bursts of flapping mixed with gliding. Where several species of swallow feed together they will be separated into different niches based on height off the ground, some species feeding closer to the ground and others feeding at higher levels.
Uploaded
March 6th, 2012
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Viewed 2,113 Times - Last Visitor from San Francisco, CA on 03/28/2024 at 11:59 PM
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Comments (4)
Doris Potter
Sweet!
Jean Noren replied:
Actually not, he is perched on top of his sibling's head! Thanks for the comment