Swallow

Australia’s most widespread swallow, the Welcome Swallow can be seen fluttering, swooping and gliding in search of flying insects

Australia’s most widespread swallow, the Welcome Swallow can be seen fluttering, swooping and gliding in search of flying insects in almost any habitat, between city buildings, over farmland paddocks, in deserts, wetlands, forests and grasslands and every habitat in between.

Welcome Swallows are widespread in Australia, but are less common in the far north than in the south.

These small, nimble birds enjoy special legal protection. Once they have laid their eggs in the nest, you CANNOT disturb them. You must wait until they leave for their winter homes to remove the nests and then exclude them.

Damage caused by Swallows

Swallows are often a nuisance in suburban areas. They build their mud nests that damage and deface the outer walls and eaves of residences and office buildings. Swallow feces often end up on the sides of buildings and the ground below, from the colony of birds in residence.

Building owners report extra clean up costs and concern over slip and fall liability from swallow dropping buildup, plus an unclean, dirty company image. The bacteria, fungal agents and parasites found in swallow droppings and nests can carry a host of serious diseases, including histoplasmosis, encephalitis, salmonella, meningitis, toxoplasmosis and more.

Swallow Control

Two products work well for getting rid of swallows. First is to install bird netting along the underside of the eaves at an angle to prevent them from building their nests there the following year.

Another option is to install Bird Slides that cuts off the angle like bird net does, but it is made of U.V. stabilized polycarbonate that can be painted to color match your structure and blend seamlessly.