“Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young.” Psalms 84:3.
It’s springtime and here come those pretty, acrobatic cliff swallows again, dressed in feathers of brown, red, yellow and white. Through the winter they have been in South America, but now seem happy to return to many parts of North America for nest building, raising of young, and an active life in the northern climate.
Cliff swallows look like their cousins, the barn swallows, but have a flat tail instead of a forked one. Their legs are short and not very strong, but they hardly need them for anything but perching, since they catch nearly all their food while flying. The reliability of their annual return on certain calendar days to a former locality is a clue to farmers when to plant some crops. They know swallows are among their best friends because they help destroy untold numbers of mosquitoes and harmful insects that spoil those crops. Their punctuality also prompts some “prophets” to announce their arrival in advance. Some people, not realizing that a God-given instinct brings them back so regularly, praise these “prophets” for their ability to foretell the future!
Cliff swallows like to live near humans, either on nearby cliffs, under bridges, or under the eaves of houses and barns. Their nests are most interesting. Muddy clay (sometimes provided by farmers) is the building material mixed with gluey saliva and straw. A beak-full at a time is daubed on the surface they have chosen. Then one mouthful after another being added, the jar-shaped nest soon extends to five or six inches, the end tapered having an open entrance. The inside is lined with feathers and grass, providing a comfortable and safe place for laying a half-dozen eggs and raising the chicks.
These birds are sociable. Usually a large number of nests are grouped together, actually touching one another. Watching a swallow fly in and out so swiftly, it is amazing how it avoids getting into a neighbor’s nest, but no mistakes of this kind are made. The Lord God who first placed them on the earth has given them remarkable instincts and abilities in their swift flight patterns.
The mouth of the cliff swallow is an example of how every bird in God’s creation is well equipped for its manner of life. It has been given a short, broad bill which opens wide to scoop up insects and to dig and carry large gobs of mud for nest building. Its wings show the Creator’s wisdom, too. They are long and flexible and enable the swallow to make its beautiful diving-and-turning flight as it pursues its food.
But God has not only shown His care over animals and birds. In addition to His care and provisions for wildlife, He extends His love to all mankind. This was most wondrously shown when He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on Calvary’s cross to provide forgiveness of sins to all who confess Him as Saviour. Have you thanked Him for His love to you?
ML-04/15/1984