Page 700 - Hand rearing birds second

North American Swallows 701

Waxworms should be offered in small amounts, one to two per bird per day, as they’re not very
nutritious. Fresh frozen crickets should be offered in small amounts because they’re highly
perishable.

Swallows­Are­Social­Creatures
NEVER overwinter a single swallow. It is cruel. Find another swallow from another rehabilitator,
or prepare to transfer the bird to another rehabilitator. When temporarily housing a single swallow,
position a vertical mirror directly next to their favored perch. Most swallows hunt for food com-
munally, so place a dish of mealworms adjacent to the mirror and the perch.
Swallows seem to be prone to depression when kept in captivity too long, especially Cliff
Swallows. The larger the group of birds, the more content they seem to be. Again, if you have a
single swallow staying for the winter, please do the right thing and find another overwintering
swallow buddy or two.

Weekly­and Monthly­Health­Check

Birds should be thoroughly examined and weighed every week. Watch feet carefully for pressure
sores. Make sure their nares are clear and mouth color is normal. Monitor their respiratory condi-
tion. Bills and nails can overgrow. To maintain a healthy bill length, carefully file the tip of the bill
with an emery board as needed. Observe their self‐maintenance. Are feathers clean? Are birds
preening and bathing regularly? Check for mites and lice. It’s also good practice to perform a fecal
exam once a month, or sooner if a problem with internal parasites is suspected.

Lighting­and Regulating­the Photoperiod

Provide full‐spectrum lighting. Do not use lighting designed for reptiles, it is not appropriate or
healthy for birds. Full‐spectrum lights, such as Phillips Natural Light bulbs, work very well for
birds. These bulbs have a CRI of 92 and color temperature of 5000 k. The 18 in. (46 cm) bulb can be
used in an aquarium light fixture and placed on top of a reptarium or cage. The bulbs can also be
installed in an under‐counter style fixture and mounted on the underside of a shelf directly above
the cage. It is very important to leave half the perching area free of direct light so the birds have the
option to bask under the light or not.
Manipulating the photoperiod during the winter to mimic the photoperiod on the swallows’
wintering grounds helps retain their natural molt cycle and length of foraging time during the day
while in captivity. Remember, most swallow species spend the winter very near or south of the
equator. As the days grow shorter in our hemisphere, you can lengthen the day artificially so that
the swallows receive approximately 12 hours of “daylight” each day.
Manipulating the photoperiod is easily done by setting a regular light and their full‐spectrum
light on staggered timers to create “sunrise” and “sunset.” If housed indoors, set one light (any
light will do – floor lamp, gooseneck lamp, etc.) away from their reptarium to turn on at 5:30 a.m.,
and the full‐spectrum light directly over one section of their housing to turn on at 6:15–6:25 a.m.
Do the reverse for “sunset” in the evening. Make adjustments to the lighting schedule as the
length of daylight changes through the winter. Make sure the full‐spectrum lighting is placed
directly over their housing and approximately 18 in. (46 cm) above one of the perches. Make sure
that the bird can perch comfortably in another area of the enclosure away from the full‐spectrum
light source.