98 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 76 



(White and Boyce 1978), and Platinum. Birds have been seen in summer 

 at the Kwethluk (17-24 July 1985; M. Brown et al., unpublished), Eek 

 (R. Baxter, unpublished; 21-27 June 1985, M. Brown et al., unpub- 

 lished) and Togiak rivers. We saw birds in spring at Cape Peirce. The 

 number of pairs nesting at individual colonies varied. At Nyac, five 

 buildings or machinery sites were used intermittently as colony sites. 

 Numbers of birds there have increased from 11 to 12 pairs in 1962 to 

 more than 100 pairs in 1981, 1983, and 1986. The Kisaralik River 

 colonies had 10-500 nests on all suitable cliffs in canyons above timber- 

 line and fewer and smaller colonies in the lower parts of the canyons. 

 Birds nested on buildings at Platinum village in 1974 (2 pairs) and 1986 

 (20 pairs), and the nearby mining camp (2 pairs) in 1974. 



The largest colonies were found near rivers and large creeks above 

 timberline (240-360 m asl), generally on vertical rock cliffs more than 

 12 m high. Smaller colonies were in similar locations near water, from 

 timberline to the foothills (45-240 m asl) and sometimes under eaves of 

 buildings or machinery. Birds nested under eaves of buildings near the 

 coast (<15 m asl). Cliff swallows generally foraged within 200 m of 

 colonies over extensive bodies of water or riparian woodlands-shrub. 



Cliff swallows usually arrived at the Tuluksak River between 4 and 

 10 June, began building nests between 6 and 20 June, fledged young 

 between 20 July and 10 August, and left the area by 2-15 August. 

 Exceptions occurred in years when colonies were abandoned because 

 of weather or disturbance. In 1978, most pairs built nests by 18 June but 

 abandoned their nests by 29 June. Severe snowstorms in June 1979 

 delayed nest building into July, and most young were still in nests on 

 6 August. On 20 June 1974, a colony on a gold dredge moved when the 

 dredge was started while they were building nests. The birds started 

 building new nests on another building on 27 June. Birds arrived at 

 Platinum on 15 June and began building nests on 17 June 1974. Some 

 birds that nested higher than 270 m asl at the Kisaralik River were still 

 brooding young on 27 July 1979. 



Bam swallow (Hirundo rusticd). Rv. 



We saw bam swallows some years at inland locations and on the 

 coast. They were seen at the Tuluksak River (Nyac) in June 1974 (C. 

 Awe, personal communication), at Kagati Lake on 24 July 1962 (M. J. 

 Fry, unpublished), and at Goodnews Bay in summer 1973 (B. Huffmon, 

 personal communication). Swallows were seen at Cape Peirce on 23 

 June 1973 (this study), 1-3 July 1973 (W. D. Arvey in Kessel and Gibson 

 1978), 13-14 June 1981 (D. R. Herter and D. Lloyd, personal communi- 

 cation), 4 July 1984 (D. R. Herter et al., personal communication), and 

 27-31 May and 6-13 June 1990 (K. Winker and J. Klicka, unpublished). 

 An adult female was collected there on 2 June 1990 (K. Winker and J. 



