Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Get to Know Swifts & Swallows
New Hampshire is home to 7 species of swifts and swallows. These birds are aerial insectivores that capture flying insects on the wing (in flight), a group that also includes nighthawks, whip-poor-wills, and flycatchers. While many of New Hampshire's bird species eat insects, most supplement their diet with other foods. For aerial insectivores, insects are their primary food source year-round.
Unlike other aerial insectivores that capture their prey by flying out from a perch, swifts and swallows are hawkers,
meaning they are continuously in flight while foraging. Adaptations like streamlined bodies, long wings, and pointed wingtips help reduce the amount of energy required to fly for long periods while feeding on airborne insects.
Where They're Found
Chimney Swifts, Tree Swallows, and Barn Swallows are found statewide. Cliff Swallows are primarily in the northern part of the state, and Bank Swallows and N. Rough-winged Swallows are mostly found along major rivers. Purple Martins, the rarest of New Hampshire's swift and swallow species, are currently restricted to a handful of colonies on the Seacoast.
Swifts and swallows are typically found foraging for insects in open habitats, like fields and wetlands. Swallows are often found in agricultural areas, while swifts can also be found in urban and suburban areas.
Bank Swallow Colony
Except for Bank Swallows and N. Rough-winged Swallows that nest in vertical gravel banks (often along rivers) and some Tree Swallows that use tree cavities, most of these species depend on manmade structures for nesting. Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows build mud-based nests on bridges or buildings. Chimney Swifts nest primarily in chimneys. Most Tree Swallows rely on nest boxes, and remaining populations of Purple Martins nest exclusively in bird houses. This reliance on buildings and human infrastructure means that swifts and swallows are often closely associate with developed areas.
Species in Decline
While aerial insectivores show some of the most dramatic declines of any group of birds over the last several decades, the reasons are not fully understood. Many of the threats these species face are likely related to the decline of their primary food – insects. These species also migrate long distances and face many challenges outside of New Hampshire.
Swift and swallow population trends
Threats to Swifts & Swallows
Declines in Insect Populations. Insects, the primary food source of swifts and swallows, have declined in many areas of the world in recent decades due in part to intensified agriculture, pesticides, and climate change.
Chimney Swifts in chimney
Habitat Loss & Disturbance. Some aerial insectivores nest almost exclusively in manmade habitats, making them prone to disturbances like intentional nest removal or loss of nesting opportunities. For example, capping and lining chimneys makes them unusable by Chimney Swifts. Bank stabilization projects can reduce the availability of riverbanks used by Bank Swallows.
Climate Change. Increasingly variable weather patterns can result in cold rainy periods and/or heat spells and drought, both of which can limit flying insect availability. There is also the possibility of phenological mismatch, where the spring arrival of these birds no longer coincides with the timing of insect emergence, making food less available during critical nesting periods.
Purple Martin House. Unless installed in appropriate locations and with certain considerations, these condos are extremely unlikely to be used.
How You Can Help
Swifts and swallows may face challenges elsewhere during migration and winter, but there are things we can do to reduce the threats they face here in New Hampshire.
Let them be. You can help by allowing swifts and swallows that have chosen to nest on your home or other buildings to stay there. Avoid cleaning swift-occupied chimneys between May and September and don't use a cap or liner. Avoid excavating a gravel bank with active nest holes until August.
Provide Nest Sites. Tree Swallows readily use nest boxes in open areas like yards and fields. Make nest boxes safer by using freestanding poles and attaching predator guards. Leave dead trees standing when possible to provide natural nest sites.
Support Insects. Provide healthy habitat for insects by avoiding pesticide use, letting grasses grow longer, providing water sources, and gardening with native plants.
Share Your Sightings. With declining populations, data on swifts and swallows are extremely valuable. Look for Chimney Swifts as they roost in chimneys in large numbers during the spring or fall. Keep an eye out for Cliff, Bank, and Barn Swallow nesting colonies in spring and summer. Share your observations on eBird.org.
Bird Nests in Bad Locations
Occasionally, swallows (usually Barn) will build their nest in an inconvenient place, like a garage or the entryway to your home. Luckily, the nesting period doesn’t last long (4-5 weeks), and you can take some actions to minimize the inconvenience. Put down newspaper, a plastic sheet, or board beneath nests for easy clean-up. Use an old sheet or tarp to protect larger items, like cars, from damage. Put up a nesting shelf to help entice them to more desirable areas. Once nesting season is over, you can cover the area so it cannot be accessed next year.
Learn More!
Swifts & Swallows Conservation. Learn more about swallows and swifts and related conservation efforts: nhaudubon.org/conservation/swallows-martins-swifts.
Challenges & Actions You Can Take. Learn the current status of New Hampshire's birds, the challenges they face, and the actions you can take to help them: stateofthebirds.nhaudubon.org.
Nest Boxes & Bird Houses. Learn to build and install nest boxes and bird houses: nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses.
We bring information about NH’s wildlife to you! The Taking Action for Wildlife Team, made up of staff from NH Fish & Game, UNH Cooperative Extension, and NH Association of Conservation Commissions, works to help towns, land trusts, natural resource professionals, and private landowners conserve wildlife and habitats in New Hampshire. We put information from NH’s Wildlife Action Plan in the hands of New Hampshire citizens.
For more information about habitat management, resources and publications about other wildlife, and to learn more about the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan visit: www.takingactionforwildlife.org.
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The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. UNH, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and New Hampshire counties cooperating. Direct inquiries to unh.civilrights@unh.edu
Funding for this brochure was provided by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Written by Haley
Andreozzi and Pam Hunt. 03/2025.
Photo Credits: Matt Tarr, Pam Hunt, Cameron Johnson, Greg Schechter and ©Michal Wyka, Jeff Huth- stock.adobe.com
