Barn swallow nest found after public appeal

A public appeal by the Department of the Environment to locate a swallow nest has proved successful, after a member of the public came forward on Sunday. The nest, home to two young swallows yet to fledge, was found in a patio near Main Street.

Barn swallows nested regularly in Gibraltar until the late 1960s, but changes to habitat and the loss of the mud they need to build nests saw them disappear as a nesting species soon afterwards.

Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS) observers had this year spotted first one and then two swallows feeding over Commonwealth Park and drinking from the pond, raising suspicions that a nest was nearby. The Department subsequently issued a note to the media, which led to the nest being located.

It appears some young from the brood have already fledged, while a second brood of two are still being fed by the adults.

The find marks the first confirmed nesting of Barn swallows in Gibraltar in over 55 years, with the habitat and fresh water at Commonwealth Park thought to have drawn the birds to the area.

The Department of the Environment has thanked the resident who reported the nest and the neighbours who allowed access to the site. Their identity is being kept confidential for now to protect the nest.