Individual nests may be used to coax a nest building pair to move to a more suitable location. Barn swallows frequently build nests over door frames and on top of porch lights. An artificial nest placed elsewhere on the porch when the swallow mud is removed will likely be readily accepted.

Multiple nests may be used to entice swallows to use your porch, shed, or other building for the first time. If barn swallows are observed in your yard, and, especially if they have ever shown interest in nesting there, offering several appropriately placed artificial nests will greatly improve your chances of attracting them.

Note: After twenty years, the “nest cup factory” is now closed. I intend to continue adding content to this site and much appreciate visitors’ input relating to their experiences with swallows and other species nesting in their home habitat. Nest cups have been available from other internet sites for the past several years, and, I trust, will continue to be available. Also, any type of small shelf will allow swallows to build on many types of walls while preventing the mud nest from falling. During the past 20 years, I have enjoyed corresponding with many visitors to this site and especially in meeting some of you in person. Most of the thousands of nest cups shipped were placed under porch roofs or in outbuildings, horse barns being a favorite location. Many cups were also placed under piers and in boat houses, usually to lure swallows away from nesting directly over boats. In two instances, swallows were nesting on house boats, and in one case, the swallow brood took a daily several hour outing on the lake and still fledged normally. The adults resumed feeding the nestlings as soon as the boat docked. But, the main use for the nest cups has been to entice nesting swallows to not build their nest directly over the front door or porch light. This, more than anything, has allowed many humans and swallows to coexist in the home habitat.  

Richard Van Vleck
richard@americanartifacts.com

2022 update - Return of the barn owls
2021 Chimney Swift tower success!!!
2020 Barn Swallow nesting	Barn swallow nest cups
2019 Barn Swallows and Black Rat Snakes
2018 - The Barnyard Balance of Nature Goes Awry Black rat snakes vs barn swallows, Northern flickers, kestrels and others
2018 Purple Martin preference for clam shells
2017 - Return of the Monarchs!	2017 Purple Martin prey photos
2010 - 2016 Northern flicker nestings	2014 house wren gourd use
2014 - A dramatic loss of many types of insects
2019-2020 Purple Martin nesting	2014 barn owl nesting - prey study
A new barn swallow shelter for 2013	2010 barn owl nesting
2010 Update	2016-2017 Kestrel nestings
Starling traps	Using blinds in the home habitat
Providing perches for birds	Providing snags for wildlife
The ugly young maple	2001 - 2013 nest cams
Use of tomato cages as hunting perches by insectivorous song birds
Vultures, beetles and the resurrection of life

Species of interest in our yard - photos and articles
barn owl	American kestrel	purple martin	barn swallow	Eastern bluebird
tufted titmouse	Eastern phoebe	yellow shafted flicker	tree swallow	chimney swift
house wren	big brown bat	Carolina wren	brown thrasher	catbird
Willow flycatcher		cedar waxwing	Northern mockingbird
Blue-gray gnatcatcher		turkey vulture	Yellow warbler	Acadian flycatcher

American Artifacts home

email richard@americanartifacts.com