Presented by Steve Senesac
Cost: Free to the Public
The Tree Swallow naturally nests in tree cavities (often made by woodpeckers). Human development frequently removes many trees, and those that remain are often groomed in a way that minimizes dead branches appropriate for cavity nests. Such habitat disturbance is the likely reason why Tree Swallows dropped to the status of being an uncommon breeder around Santa Barbara and Ventura. Starting in the 1980s, Jan Wasserman in Ventura and later Dave Eldridge and Don Schroeder in Santa Barbara worked to reverse this trend by developing nest box programs.
Steve Senesac stepped into their shoes in 2015 when he became the Science Chair for SBAS. Find out what Steve has been doing to reinforce our efforts in this area and hear his analysis of years of data that have produced a number of fascinating facts and identified thought-provoking trends.
