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Niche Differentiating Mechanisms In Two Sympatric Species Of Swallows, David Thomas Moody

All Master's Theses

The present study considers certain aspects of the ecologies of cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and bam swallows (Hirundo rustica) in an area of overlap, where both species are found nesting together and foraging over the same fields. Careful attention was given to foraging flight patterns, foraging elevations, and food consumed by each species in an effort to determine whether or not there is any evidence of competition for food resources. Aggressive interactions between the species were recorded, and the general timing of their nesting cycles was noted.