Swallows in danger: How to recognize, protect, and welcome our messengers of spring?

Every year, their return heralds the arrival of spring. Yet, the familiar song of swallows is becoming increasingly rare in our countryside and towns. In France, these migratory birds are facing a worrying decline.

Here are 7 essential points to understand the situation, learn how to differentiate them, and discover concrete solutions — including our handmade nests — to offer them a safe haven.

Two Iconic Species: Knowing How to Tell Them Apart

Before you can help them, it is essential to know which species you are dealing with, as their nesting habits are very different:

• Barn Swallow: Recognizable by its brick-red throat and a tail with two long streamers. It prefers the interior of open buildings (barns, garages, covered playgrounds) and builds an open cup-shaped nest.

• House Martin: Stockier, it has a gleaming white belly and a very visible white rump (lower back) in flight. It nests outdoors, under eaves or window ledges, in a closed mud nest with only a small opening at the top.

An Alarming Decline: Why Are They Disappearing in France?

According to monitoring by the LPO (League for the Protection of Birds), swallow populations have fallen by nearly 40% in 30 years in France. This decline is due to two main factors:

• Scarcity of food: The widespread use of insecticides drastically reduces populations of flying insects (mosquitoes, flies), their sole food source.

• Habitat loss: The renovation of metallic or smooth facades prevents mud from adhering, while access to modern barns and agricultural buildings is often closed to them.

The Housing Crisis: When There's Not Enough Mud

To build a single nest, a pair of swallows must make between 700 and 1,500 trips to collect balls of dried mud mixed with their saliva.

With the early drying up of soils in spring and the concreting of paths, swallows sometimes spend entire days searching for a simple muddy puddle. Exhausted even before laying, many abandon their nesting.

Simple gestures to adopt in the garden

Everyone can act at their own level to transform their surroundings into a haven of peace:

• Ban chemical products: Leave a zone of flowering meadow in your garden to promote biodiversity and provide an abundance of insects.

• Create a mud zone: In spring (April to June), leave a small area of bare earth regularly watered, or a cup of wet clay.

• Maintain access: If you have a garage or outbuilding, leave a transom window or an opening of a few centimeters to allow barn swallows to enter.

Preserving nests: A legal and moral obligation

Did you know that swallows are a species fully protected by French law (decree of 29 October 2009)?

It is strictly forbidden to destroy, damage, or remove their nests, even outside the breeding season. If renovation work is unavoidable, it must be subject to strict derogations and accompanied by compensatory measures (installation of artificial nests).
Nid artificiel hybride pour hirondelle rustique et hirondelle de fenêtre modèle "La Demi-Lune" La Buse Qui File

Our solution: The artificial nest made in our workshop

To compensate for the lack of mud and provide immediate shelter upon their return from migration, we have designed a handmade swallow nest.

• Designed with durable and breathable materials: Made from PETG, a rot-proof material, it perfectly mimics the texture and microclimate of a natural nest.

• Ready to use: It saves precious energy for the parents, allowing them to immediately focus on laying eggs and raising their chicks.

• Strong and weather-resistant: Unlike natural nests that risk collapsing due to drought, our structure offers maximum security against predators.

How to properly set up your nest at home?

Installation is quick and requires only a few basic precautions:

• The ideal location: Place the nest under a roof overhang (e.g. under a gânoise tile) at least 2.50 meters from the ground, sheltered from the prevailing wind and out of reach of cats.

• Orientation: Favor an East or North-East exposure to avoid summer overheating due to direct sunlight.

• Pro-cleanliness tip: To avoid soiling your facade or terrace, install a small droppings deflector board (approximately 15 cm wide) placed 30-40 cm below the nest.

Together, let's give them a roof over their heads!
By installing a nest box at home right after winter, you give these small migratory birds a better chance to perpetuate their life cycle.