Advantages and disadvantages of coloniality in the swallow, Hirundo rustica 

@article{Mller1987AdvantagesAD,
  title={Advantages and disadvantages of coloniality in the swallow, Hirundo rustica
},
  author={Anders Pape M{\o}ller},
  journal={Animal Behaviour},
  year={1987},
  volume={35},
  pages={819-832}
}
  • A. Møller
  • Published 1 June 1987
  • Biology
  • Animal Behaviour
Abstract The advantages and disadvantages of coloniality in swallows, Hirundo rustica , were studied in 1971–1975 and 1977–1985. Nest sites were not limiting the local population density, and swallows tended to aggregate actively at specific sites. Colony size was positively correlated with local food abundance and the amount of lee for prevailing westerly winds. The amount of food per individual swallow decreased with colony size, and nestling feeding rates were lower for colonial than for… 
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Citation Type

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  • 2004
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Intraspecific nest parasitism in the swallow Hirundo rustica involves several parasite and anti-parasite tactics and Aggression by neighbors may reduce the success of potential parasitic swallows.
COLONY CHOICE IN CLIFF SWALLOWS: EFFECTS OF HETEROGENEITY IN FORAGING HABITAT
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Findings emphasize that colony choice in Cliff Swallows is complex, reflecting both the socially mediated costs and benefits of group size that vary among individuals and the effects of habitat heterogeneity that may influence food availability at some sites.
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Infanticidal and anti-infanticidal strategies in the swallow Hirundo rustica
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The preening activity of swallows, Hirundo rustica, in relation to experimentally manipulated loads of haematophagous mites
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It is evaluated the hypothesis, that preening activity of hosts reflects parasite loads, by manipulating parasite (mite) loads of swallow nests early during reproduction and subsequently recording preeningActivity, that individual hosts should pay particular attention to preening or similar behaviour, which could mirror parasite burdens of potential mates.
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This study explored reasons for variable nesting habits in a hole-nesting bird species that sometimes breeds colonially and sometimes alone. Nesting was surveyed over ten years in natural sand cliffs…
Settlement patterns of female barn swallows Hirundo rustica across different group sizes: access to colorful males or favored nests?
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It is apparent that female settlement patterns are strongly tied to the availability of old nests at a site, andExtra-pair fertilizations are equally common across all group sizes in this population, suggesting that females do not face a trade-off between old nests and the possibility of extra-pair mating decisions when making settlement decisions.
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References

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TLDR
It is suggested that reduced predation on eggs and young, resulting from both gr ouLp defense and "selfish herd" effects, is an important advantage of Bank Swallow coloniality.
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TLDR
Intraspecific nest parasitism was relatively frequent (overall 16·5% of 261 nests) among swallows, Hirundo rustica, during four consecutive years and was more frequent in large colonies than in groups of 1–4 pairs.
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TLDR
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TLDR
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