As part of the Upper Columbia Swallow Habitat Enhancement Project, we had an extremely successful Bank Swallow enhancement project this summer! In collaboration with the District of Invermere, we created suitable habitat for at-risk Bank Swallows at a pile of dirt that was slated to be removed. Rather than removing the potential habitat feature with suitable substrate, we enhanced it by creating a vertical face, and thereby made it more suitable for nesting Bank Swallow.
Nearly 300 nesting burrows were created by Bank Swallows this spring (starting late May 2024) and about 200 of those burrows were active. The clutch size for Bank Swallows is 3–6 eggs, typically 4 or 5. So, at 4 eggs (on average) in 200 active burrows, that is about 800 chicks that were produced at this one colony we created! Great news for a species whose population has plummeted in recent decades. This is an innovative and collaborative project, unlike any other that we are aware of in Western Canada. Our gratitude goes to funders the Columbia Basin Trust and Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. Gratitude is extended to the District of Invermere (DOI) for supporting and collaborating on such an innovative and successful conservation project for a species at risk; a project that occurs on their land.