What kind of bird?

[CTyler]

I'm sure this is a common bird but we can't find it in our bird books?

They build a mud nest under eves, poarch etc.. They are smaller about the size of a swallow, it might be a swallow. The breast is an orange color, head and back are a dark irradecent blue when the light reflects off it. Looking at the book the color is that same as a purple martin. The tail is forked when flying. My MIL says they are a barn swallow but the colors are not correct.

 

[Gatorboy]

This is a barn swallow:

 

[CTyler]

Thats about what the young ones look like. The adults are more orange color underneath. The book we have make it look like the barn swallows breast is white. Maybe the time of year has something to do with it or the color got printed wrong in the book.

Thanks
Chris

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a link to some more information about Barn Swallows.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Barn_Swallow_dtl.html

We had a pair make a nest under our back porch last year. We thought they were agressive... until the eggs hatched! Then they were REALLY agressive. They would dive bomb us continously from house to car, house to mailbox, house to garden, house to swimming pool, etc... They hit my hat a few times. After the young ones left, I tore down the nest. I kept an eye out for them this year. At the first sign of nest building, I would hose off the mud. I kept that up for a week. I ended up taking down the thermometer that they were using as a nest base. So they moved to the porch light. We hung up pieces of aluminum foil. They didn't like touching it. I felt sorry for the little male. He kept trying to mate with the female but she wouldn't let him since there wasn't a nest. They finally left the area.

 

[Bird]

I don't think it's a safe bet that you have barn swallows. Here is a picture I posted recently on TBN's sister site, Countrybynet.com. The picture was taken at night with a flash. They've been trying to build a new over our front door. I think we've finally succeeded in driving them off. If you want to read the whole thread on Countrybynet, it's here.

 

[CTyler]

Yes they do a lot of dive bombing for bugs when mowing. When there is a nest around they dive bomb within a couple inches trying to scare you off or create a distraction.

We had problem with th house in town and I put up some "Bird gone" or something like that. It was a clear sticky goop.

 

[CTyler]

The pics you have look like the ones we have, a lot more orange to them on the breast.

 

[Bird]

Yep, I'm not a very good photographer. It was pitch dark when I took that picture. I had gone out with a flashlight and found them there; thought they would fly off, but they didn't. So I went back with the camera and my wife with the flashlight. I had her turn the flashlight on just a couple of seconds so I could see to aim the camera, then turn off the light before I snapped the picture. So I, too, thought the picture didn't show the brilliance of their breasts as I had hoped.

 

[ronjhall]

We had problem with th house in town and I put up some "Bird gone" or something like that. It was a clear sticky goop.

The product we use is http://www.tanglefoot.com/ Tanglefoot. Works for many pest.

 

[Bird]

That's something new to me, Ron. I don't recall hearing of any bird repellants. The day after I took that picture, I washed everything down real good, then that night my wife went out there and ran them off with a flyswatter. And the next day I just laid a small scrap of wood up there; almost a 1" x 2" and I think we've discouraged them. Now if I could figure out a way to keep the grackles from nesting in the Bradford Pear trees in the backyard.