Cliff Swallows
Image by Olivia Maillet
Cliff Swallows are extremely social, colonial songbirds that build nests out of mud on vertical surfaces such as bridges and buildings.
A Cliff Swallow colony resides at PEPtBO, nesting on human-made structures such as the lighthouse and the banding lab.
New Cliff Swallow nesting structure
Close-up of the 3D printed artificial nest cups
Following the construction of the new staff building in 2025, a Cliff Swallow nesting structure was built nearby by Canadian Wildlife Service for the colony that nested on eaves of the old staff cottage. This specialized structure is equipped with 3D printed artificial nest cups to encourage nesting.
When the Cliff Swallows arrived at Prince Edward Point in the spring, they almost immediately began sitting in the artificial cups, adding mud to the exterior of the cups to create entrances, and building additional natural nests around the artificial cups. PEPtBO staff counted at least 12 occupied nests throughout the season.
