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How to Call Swallow Birds

If you live close to fields, swamplands or any area with a natural water supply and an abundance of flying space, you may have swallows nearby. Swallows, which inhabit most of North America, have colors ranging from dull brown to iridescent blues with white bellies. Flying insects make up the majority of their diets. The fast-flying, acrobatic songbirds are fun to watch and can be of benefit by eating pesky insects. You can call swallows by recording bird calls or mimicking them with an Audubon bird call.

Things You'll Need

Audio recorder
Audubon bird call

Instructions

- 1
  Listen to verified swallow calls online at Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library or Bird Calls and Songs. The standard swallow bird call sounds like a soft, rapid "vwit-vwit."
- 2
  Record the swallow call or mimic it with your Audubon bird call. An Audubon bird call is a small object with a wooden cylinder with a pewter piece inside. By rubbing the wood and pewter together, the friction produces a variety of chirping and warbling sounds. It is easier to record the calls or mimic them with a bird call than to attempt to mimic the sounds with your own voice.
- 3
  Stand in a clear area near a water source and play your recording or use the bird call. Avoid calling the swallows with high-pitched alarms or raspy aggression calls. A medium-pitched "vwit-vwit" should suffice.

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