Cliff Swallows in 2020 and Beyond?

Article by Pam Hunt

Photos right:
Top: Roughly 20 pairs of Cliff Swallows nest on this bridge over the Androscoggin River in Milan. It is one of the largest colonies in the state and one of only a handful on bridges. Photo by Pam Hunt, 5-29-20.
Bottom: This young Cliff Swallow is almost ready to leave its nest in Danbury in early July. Photo by Pam Hunt, 7-5-20.

Summer 2020 was a good year for Cliff Swallows in New Hampshire. Our fourth summer of surveys revealed 25 colonies, which together supported at least 168 pairs. These are the highest totals in the four years this state-threatened species has been intensively monitored, largely due to six new colonies discovered by birders. Two other sites that hadn’t been active since 2017 were also reoccupied.

Perhaps most exciting was the presence of at least four pairs on the Scammel Bridge over the Bellamy River in Dover. This used to be a significant colony that supported 20 or more pairs, but hadn’t been occupied since 2013. Here’s hoping it continues to grow! At the opposite end of Great Bay, a pair tried nesting on a bridge over the Sqaumscott River in Stratham, but a late summer check by kayak suggested the nest was not completed.

In 2021 we hope to follow up on some of these new colonies while continuing to at least keep an eye on the rest (volunteer monitors are always welcome!). NH Audubon has submitted a proposal that, if funded, will allow us to initiate a pilot project to determine productivity at a handful of colonies in the Lakes Region. While we now know where our Cliff Swallows are, effective conservation will require more detail about their nesting success, among other things.

Cliff Swallow monitoring was funded by NH Fish & Game and private donations.