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Wild Bird Society of Japan
Supported by the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Programme,
Toyota Motor Corporation.

Contents
Introduction

2

How to use this guidebook
Why do we observe the Barn Swallow
The merits of schools involved
Why should schools be involved
Structuring the lesson

Background information about swallows
Conduct a swallow survey

4

7

The aim of the survey
Study area
Study period
Surveyors
Survey method
Important notices on the survey
Summarize the result
Work sheets[Survey form / Record Active nest / Drawing a swallow nests map / Summary sheet /Let’s Talk about swallows and our environment / Swallow Observation Diary]

Follow-up for extension / future learning
Swallow research activities around the world
Report of Green Holiday in Taiwan
Information

17

18

20

22

Sticker ”Give swallows a home” / Avian Flu awareness and swallow observation /Education for sustainable development / What is WBSJ? / References

Calling all teachers

24

1

Introduction
How to use
this guidebook

This book suggests a swallow observation activity for primary school children
and provides simple swallow survey methods to help young children learn
how to observe nature in their environment. The surveys can be conductedin any country where swallows breed. Short walks in the local area aroundthe school is probably enough to participate in the survey. The guidebook
contains general information about swallows, follow-up activities, anduseful resources in order to introduce swallow observation activities into
your school curriculum. We hope that this guidebook will help you and yourclasses to take part in Barn Swallow observation and that this will spawn aninterest in conservation work and benefit birds and nature around the globe.

Why do we observe
the Barn Swallow

Our Tiny Neighbours
Barn Swallow is one of the most familiar birds which has a close association
with people for a long time. They travel through both hemispheres from
northern breeding areas to southern wintering areas. Barn Swallow can beseen almost all over the world. Everyone even young children can identify
our tiny neighbours.
Barn Swallows in trouble
In recent years, Barn Swallows tend to decline in some countries. There
are several possible explanations. One of the likely reasons seems to be
the changes of land use and farming practice. The use of pesticides may
reduce the numbers of flying insects and make Barn Swallows’ feeding
habitat poorer. The other potential reason may be the change of the building
materials and style could cause to reduce the number of nest sites.
Quick Environmental Health check in your neighbourhood
Barn Swallow is a good indicator of environmental quality. Let’s observe
the swallow in your region / country! Not only you can help to educate yourstudents about how to observe nature, but also you can help provide vitaland consistent swallow information which will help conservation NGO’s takeappropriate actions.

The merits ofschools involved

Good educational materials, Easy to observe, Gain new skills forchildren!
Birds are an ideal educational resources for children and easy to be brought
into a schools’ curriculum. Children love wildlife and birds and they are themost familiar friend for them. “Barn Swallows” are a resource available
to almost all schools, wherever they are located even in a city centre, in
suburban, or in rural area.
Swallow nests are usually close enough to be observed with the naked eye.
You do not need to use special equipment such as telescope or binoculars.
We can expect children to gain new skills such as, conducting a survey,
making comparisons, analyzing that information from their observation, andreaching conclusions based on observation, through the activities.
If your classes introduce swallow observation to the curriculum and keep theannual survey consistently during the same period of the year, it will become
a valuable resource that can help us understand the patterns and shifts in thelife of swallows.

2Why should
schools be
involved?
––Quote fromBird quest, RSPB

Structuring
the lesson

Environmental issues are an important theme in the curricular requirementsof England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and birds are an accessible,
live resource for teaching these themes. For example, they are available for
identification and classification activities in science and can provide examplesof adaptation and feeding relationships that are accessible to children. Birds
can provide exciting opportunities for real life mathematics. They can inspire
reading and writing activities involving factual or fictional texts, design andtechnology activities setting up feeding and observation sites, and geography
activities mapping school grounds and considering environmental changes.
Bird can also contribute to personal and social education where children are
asked to consider and care for the world around them.

Learning Objectives
Observe Barn Swallows and their nests, discuss and debate swallow issues;
realize the need of swallows and other living things; know what improves
their habitat and what harms it.
1 Introduction (Background Information)
Provide general swallow information for your region / country.
2 Undertake a general swallow survey• Arrange the groups (2 to 3 children per group is the preferred size) toobserve and record the swallows nests in the neighbourhood of your 				school.
• Count the number of active nests and abandoned nests, record findings		 in the survey form, record and map the location of active nests, during
		 swallow breeding season.
• Interview local residents about their feelings regarding swallows, for		 example, whether they welcome swallows or not, and their reasons.
3 Summary• Compare the result of each group and sum up the survey results, draw a  		 nest distribution map.
• Consider the differences between nest distribution and location.
4 Extension / future learning• Talk about the essential needs of the swallows.
• Discuss whether the swallows can get their essential needs from the		 surrounding environment or not.
• Discuss what we can do for swallows and the environment.
Materials neededWork sheets (Sheet 1 to 6),□Pencils,□
Map (The vicinity of your school area)3

Background Information about swallows
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Barn Swallow is a sparrow-sized migratory bird, with aslender body and pointed wings and well extended forked
tail. The color pattern is glossy blue on the body with arusty orange forehead and throat.
Barn Swallows are often seen flying over water andhunting insects.
They feed in open habitats, meadows, ponds, paddy
fields, rivers, and coastal waters.
Their nests are easy to spot under the eaves or inside ofsheds, barns, bridges, and other manmade structures.
They often use a beam or other artificial construction to
support the nest.

Distribution
Barn Swallows can be seen almost all over the world.
It makes annual journey from its northern breeding
grounds to its southern wintering grounds. Asianswallows breed in Russia, China, Korea, Japan andTaiwan. They migrate to South East Asia for wintering,in Southern parts of Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia,
and Malaysia. European swallows spend the winter inSouthern Africa.

Breeding Area
Wintering Area
Breeding Area & Wintering Area

Distribution Map
Adapted from "Tanbo no – ikimonotachi Tsubame"and "The Barn Swallow"

4

Russia

Journey of the Swallow
Migration is a miracle of bird life that remains
complex with many unknown factors.
Migration is a seasonal movement between
a breeding area and another area where theclimate and conditions offer a better life.
Insect eaters such as swallows breed in
the temperate north and move southward
to winter in the tropics or subtropics. They
migrate during the day, and roost at night inreed beds or other tall plants.
Migratory birds travel along certain flight paths,
often following the winds. Exact mechanisms
are still a mystery but many species also makeuse of the sun and stars.
There are many threats during their migration
like predators along the migration routes, andthe birds also face the most serious threat:
loss of habitats. Important feeding and restingsites during the long journey have beenlong established key stopping points for thebirds, but when they are destroyed, it has adevastating effect on migratory birds.

Mongolia

Japan
China

MyanmarThai

VietnamPhilippines
Public of Palau

Malaysia
Papua New Guinea

Indonesia

Migration Route
Adapted from "Tanbo no – ikimonotachi Tsubame"• Swallows return each spring fromMarch to April• The nest is a deep bowl of mud
mixed with grass• 4-6 eggs are laid in daily intervals

Spring

Winter• Swallows winter inflocks in the tropics

Swallows’
life• Swallows raise two broods,
sometimes three between Summer
spring to summer• After fledging, the youngs 		
continue to be fed by their parents

Autumn• Thousands of swallows descend
on reed beds for roosting as theygather before migration• Autumn migration starts
from August to October5

Swallows’
life

What is the favorite foodBarn Swallows eat manyof Barn Swallows?
different kinds of flying insects
such as mosquitoes, horseflies,
bees, moths, butterflies, dragonflies. Watch the swallow nest
and observe what kind of insects the swallows feed their chicks.
How long does it takes before
the chicks leave the nest?
After being incubated for 2 weeks, the eggs
will hatch. Then, it takes another 3 weeks
until the young have fledged and can leave
the nest.

Dragonfly

What is the enemy of

Raptors such asBarn Swallows?
hawks and falcons
attack small birds.
Crows, cats, snakes often attack swallow nests andeat eggs and chicks. There are many predatorsin the natural world. That’s why Barn Swallows
raise many chicks to increase the chances for one
surviving to maturity.

The Wetland is an essential habitat
Wetlands and rivers full of insects
are an essential foraging site forBarn Swallows. Barn Swallows
also take mud and straws fromthere for building their nests.

Swallow family

A Barn Swallow flying overwater to catch the insects

A Barn Swallow taking mudfrom wetland

5 species of the swallow family breed in Japan: the Barn Swallow, the House
Martin, the Red-rumped Swallow, the Sand Martin, and the Pacific Swallow.
There are about 80 species of Swallow family in the world.

Red-rumped Swallow

House Martin

Red-rumped Swallow breeds across southern Europe
and Asia. Slightly larger than the Barn Swallow, they
have pale or reddish rumps, face and neck collar, anda white breast with brownish spots. They build a mud
nest in a domed shape with a tunnel entrance. They
normally nest under cliff overhangs but often build
under man-made structures such as bridges.
*The Striated Swallow (Cecropis striolata) is very
similar to Red-rumped Swallow, breeding in Taiwan
and Southeast Asia. They build the mud nests on
bridges or on buildings similar to the Red-rumped
Swallow.

Smaller than Barn Swallow, they have glossy blueblack upper parts and a pure white under part. They
have a white rump band and slightly short forked
tail. They often build mud nests below the eaves andother man-made structures, usually in large colonies.

(Hirundo daurica)(Delichon dasypus)

6Conduct a swallow survey
1 The aim of the

To collect baseline information of Barn Swallow nests and their nest
distribution in your region.

2 Study area

The vicinity of the primary school

3 Study period

During the breeding season of the Barn Swallows (Between April and July)

4 Surveyors

Primary school children*from 4 to 6 graders (9 to 12 years old) are suitable for the survey.

5 Survey method

1 Walk through streets in neighbourhood of your school, check every 		building, observe and record the number of Barn Swallow nests (bothactive and abandoned) on the survey form (Sheet 1).

survey2 When you find an active nest, observe the nesting site and record the 		
specifics and note the observation details on the following form (Sheet 2),
write down the location of nest on the map (Sheet 3).
3 Interview the local residents about their views regarding Barn Swallows.
For example, if they like having the swallows around or if they feel it’s anuisance, and the reasons.
*If possible, ask the residents to put the sticker “Give swallows a home
(page 22)” beside the door to let people know there is a swallow nest.

6 Important notices

on the survey

1 Surveyors are divided into small groups (2-3 pupils) and go out to conduct
their surveys during roughly the same time during the day.
2 Keep a good distance from the nest. If you get too close or bother the 		
swallows during breeding, they might leave the nest behind even if there
are eggs.
3 Criterion “Active nests” are; When you find adult swallows or chicks inthe nest, or you see the adult swallows making the nest, the nests areactive.

Active nest

Abandoned nest

4 If you have other swallow families (ex Red-rumped Swallows, House
Martins) in your region, count each species nests separately.
5 “Local residents” are people who live in the survey area.

77 Summarize

the result

Back in the classroom after the field survey,
1 Compare each group’s result and nest maps to make clear the area where
active and abandoned nests have been seen.
Share the distribution of the nests, environmental Information, any otherobservations about swallows. Consider the surrounding environment andits relationship to the birds.
*While you compare each group’s results, let’s children draw a large mapof the survey area to see the distribution and consider the relevance tosurrounding environment.
Present the result of each group’s research, using the completed map, or
poster to share swallow information to the class.
2 Gather the survey form from each group and sum up the number ofswallow nests, following the summary sheet. (Sheet 4)
3 Compare the number of nests regarding the location and consider which
type of building is good for swallow nesting.
4 Share with other groups how local residents feel about the swallows.
5 Talk about swallows and the environment following the sheet. (Sheet 5)• Talk about daily life for people and the things that are essential for us.
• Talk about the foods which swallows feed to their chicks, and the		 materials of swallow nests and where swallows take them from.
• Talk about the essential needs of swallows, food, water, nest site, and		 consider how they protect themselves from dangers.
• Consider whether swallows can get their essential needs as mentioned
		 above from the surrounding environment or not.
• Discuss what we can do for swallows and the environment.
6 Keep observations
Swallows raise two or three broods from spring to summer.
Encourage children to keep watching and note the observation record.
• Have one group watch one nest to keep up the children’s attention.
• Observe the chicks and note their growing on the sheet. (Sheet 6)• Count and record the number of fledged chicks if possible.
*The number of chicks leaving the nest is useful to have reproduction data.
When swallow experience deteriorated environmental conditions, theytend to reduce the number of eggs.
7 Continue the survey
Continue the observations every year during the same period, so that you
can translate the results in a graphic form to see secular change of thenumber of swallow nests.

8Sheet 1 Survey Form
Name of School

Date of survey

Use 1 sheet for 1 group

Grade

Date

Time

Names of suveyors

Weather condition

Survey site [Town / District / Country]

1 Count the Barn Swallows' nest you found, write down the number.
When you find swallows
or chicks in the nest, or
if you see the swallows
making the nest,
the nests are active.

Active nest

Abandonednest*If you found other swallow familys'nest, count separately.

2 When you asked the residents about swallows, how many of themwelcome swallows?

Write down the number of people whom you heard from during the survey.
Welcomeswallows

Notwelcomeswallows

Why people “welcome the swallows”?

Why people “do not welcome the swallows”?

3 This question is for surveyors. Do you welcome swallows in your home?

Ask your group members and write down the number.

Yes

No

Why do you welcome the swallows?

Why do you Not welcome the swallows?

Sheet 2 Record Active Nest

Use 1 sheet per 1 nest

When you find an active nest, write down the location on a map and record
the following sheet
Date

Weather

Names

Survey Site
Barn Swallow

Others []1 Draw the pictures of nest (or take photo)

Nest site(as specific as possible)

What materials are the nest
made from?

2 Materials of the building walls to which the nest is attached

Concrete

Wood

Tile

Others ()

3 Surrounding Environment

Residents

Shopping arcade

Farmland

Others ()

4 What were the parents doing?

Building the nest
Sitting in the nest (incubation)
Did not return during the observation
Others (5 Did you find the chicks?

Feeding chicks

Yes: The number of chicks (Observe the chicks and check the box.
Downy coats
Downy coats turn into feathers
Fledged (Flight feathers and tail grow)Leaving the nest
Others ()

Write down anything else you noticed.

)
)

No

Date

Sheet 3 Drawing a swallow nests map!
Draw the swallow nests you found, write down information of surrounding
environment.

Sheet 4 Summary sheet

Use 1 sheet for 1 class (or school)

Name of School / country / address

E-mail
Tel & FaxName

The numberof surveyors

Date ofsurvey & time

Weather
condition

1 Total number of Barn Swallows' nests
Activenest

Things to Note

Abandoned
nest

Total number of other swallow familys' nests
Species

Active nest

Abandoned nest

2 Sum up the total number regarding to the following questions.

When you asked the residents about swallows, how many of them welcome swallows?
Welcomeswallows

Notwelcomeswallows

Do you welcome swallows in your home?

Yes

No

3 Where have active nests been seen?

4 What kind of building material can you see swallows nesting on?

5 Did you find any relation between the environment andnest distribution?

Please send your survey result (summary sheet, nest distribution map, observation details, photos) to
Wild Bird Society of Japan to share with us.
Address: 3-9-23 Maruwa-Bldg Nishi-Gotanda Shinagawa-ku Tokyo Japan 141-0031
FAX: +81-3-5436-2635 E-mail: hogo@wbsj.org

Sheet 5 Let’s Talk about swallows and our environment
What do we need for our daily life?
What are the essential things for us?

What are the essential needs of a swallow?

Can a swallows obtain the essential needs mentioned
above in the surrounding environment?

What can we do for swallows and the environment?

Sheet 6 Swallow Observation Diary
Date :

Weather :Use 1 sheet per 1 nest

Name :

Survey site
Barn Swallow

Others ()

Nest site

1 Draw the picture of nest (or take photo)2 What were the parents doing?

Building the nest
Sitting in the nest (incubation)
Did not return during the observation
Others (Feeding chicks

3 Did you find the chicks?

Yes : The number of chicks ()

No

4 Observe the chicks and check the box.

Downy coats
Downy coats turn into feathers
Fledged (Flight feathers and tail grow)Leaving the nest
Others ()
5 Did you find any changes comparing the prior observation?

)

Sheet 2 Record Active Nest

Use 1 sheet per 1 nest

When you find an active nest, write down the location on a map and record
the following sheet
Date

Weather

Names

Survey Site
Barn Swallow

Others []1 Draw the pictures of nest (or take photo)

Nest site(as specific as possible)

What materials are the nest
made from?

2 Materials of the building walls to which the nest is attached

Concrete

Wood

Tile

Others ()

3 Surrounding Environment

Residents

Shopping arcade

Farmland

Others ()

4 What were the parents doing?

Building the nest
Sitting in the nest (incubation)
Did not return during the observation
Others (5 Did you find the chicks?

Feeding chicks

Yes: The number of chicks (Observe the chicks and check the box.
Downy coats
Downy coats turn into feathers
Fledged (Flight feathers and tail grow)Leaving the nest
Others ()

Write down anything else you noticed.

)
)

No

Date

Sheet 3 Drawing a swallow nests map!
Draw the swallow nests you found, write down information of surrounding
environment.

Follow-up forextension / future learning
What we can dofor swallows andenvironment

When you discuss what we can do for swallows and the environment in yourclass, ask the children to take action for the environment even regarding verysmall changes in their daily life.
For example, take care of wildlife in the school garden, and ask their parents
to leave windows open for swallows nesting, tell their friends to welcome
swallows.
Encourage children to keep observing the swallows. They might find some
improvement to the site resources (to create a biotope, manage the water toprotect the eco-system, setting the platform for support swallow nests).
Let’s try and monitor the effects.

Encouraging
Swallows

Swallows prefer the buildings which provide eaves, dark ledges and nooks fornesting.
Swallows can enter a building through a very small opening.
To encourage them to nest in a garage or outhouse,• Make a small opening under the garage or barn eaves; leave a window or		 a door open for the swallows to get access.
• Make a platform to support the nest.
• Fix the nest platform where you would like them to nest, high in the		 building, out of the reach of cats, in a spot where droppings are not a 				 problem*.
*To prevent the floor from getting dirty from droppings, hang an open
umbrella under the nest.
When the nest has broken…
Occasionally a swallow nest may fall down and break.
Make a replacement nest by using shallow cup (ex.
noodles cup, cut in half) in place of the old nest withthe remains of the broken nest inside and relocate thenestlings.

Swallow Roost
Observation

After the end of their breeding season, the large numbers of swallows flockin reed beds along a river for roosting.
In late summer, about 30 minutes before the sun sets, we can see thousandsof swallows crossing over the sky and fly into the reeds.
Search for the swallow roosting areas in your region and observe thespectacle with children.
Not long afterwards, they start long journeys southward.

If you need consultation, contact to the local conservation NGO. There are 120 Birdlife partners around the world.
Find them on this website. Birdlife Partners: http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/partnership/birdlife-partners

17

Swallow research activities aroundthe world
Swallow
Research

The number of fledged chicks

in Japan

According to several survey records, Barn Swallows tend to decline in Japan.
In response to these results, the Wild Bird Society of Japan (WBSJ) started theInternet Swallow breeding survey in 2012. Everyone can join this survey justto observe the swallow nests and send the findings to the website. Regarding
the survey, swallows were often affected by crow attack and nest destruction
by human and failed to raise their chicks. We found that the number of fledged
chicks in urban areas is lower than in the country side. We also found thatswallows raise more chicks in the site neighbouring green areas, even in the city
centre. The green areas and wetland habitats such as parks, farmlands in thecity must be essential for swallows foraging. WBSJ keeps on monitoring Barn
Swallows and express the conservation message for protection of these habitats
to our audience by conducting nature observation activities in the field, anddeveloping teaching materials to expand our education work.

Swallow
Research

in Ishikawa,Japan

Ishikawa
Prefecture

5

4.4

4

3.9

3

3.5

2
1
0

Countryside Suburban
area

Urban
area

Since 1972 the Ishikawa Prefecture started Barn Swallow survey with schools
which has continued over 40 years.
The survey consists of observing Barn swallows in the neighbourhood of theschools, counting and recording the number of swallows and nests in thebreeding periods of the species in the area. The survey also requires pupils tointerview local residents, so it serves as awareness building for residents andalso pupils to get to know more about swallows and environments in their area.
Every year, the primary school 6th graders (11 to 12 years old) of Ishikawa
prefecture, (approx. 200 schools, 13000 children) participated in the survey.
Looking back on 40 years of survey data in Ishikawa, we can see that there has
been a one-third decrease in the number of adult swallow. There has also been
decreased about 50 percent in the number in-use nests since 1989.
From the survey result, we can speculate that there is direct correlation between
the decrease of rice paddies and the decrease of adult swallows. The area ofrice paddies in the prefecture has decreased about 17,000 ha since 1972. The
decrease of rice paddies has caused the decrease of insect-spawning grounds,
which result in the decrease the food availability for swallows.
house holds

450,000

50,00045,000400,000

house holds

40,000350,000

35,000300,000

area of rice field (ha)30,000swallows

250,000

25,000surveyors

200,000

20,000*40years swallow survey resultin Ishikawa :http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/
seikatu/kouryu/undou2PFD/
tubame/english_survey.pdf

15,000150,000

nests

100,000

10,000
5,000

74

77

80

83

86

89

92

95

98

01

04

07

Ishikawa’s General Survey Results & Shift in Various Factors

18

50,00010 yearSwallow
Research

in Hong Kong

Swift and Swallow Research Group of Hong Kong Bird Watching Society wasestablished in 2003 with the aim of investigating the ecology of Barn Swallows
and House Swifts in Hong Kong and promoting their conservation.
In terms of research, the group investigates the number of Barn Swallow’s andHouse Swift’s nests and chicks as well as the situation of the nests regularly andpublished several research reports.
Workshops have been conducted for new volunteers every year in order toinvolve them in the nest surveys of Barn Swallow and House Swift.
They are also responsible for a wide range of work for the conservation ofswallows besides conducting survey and research. For example, they provide
the most updated information and correct concept of avian flu using the mass
media to the general public so that swallow nests will not be removed due tomisunderstanding. They also deal with the inquiries related to the care of theswallow chicks falling down from nests.
Regarding to the survey, swallow nests are often destroyed byreconstruction and building renovations in Hong Kong. To
protect the swallow nests, they communicate with the building
contractors to keep the space open for swallows to get accessto their nests during the construction period. They also makepresentations to the government to protect swallow nests
attached to government buildings.
*Swallow survey report in Hong Kong:
http://www.hkbws.org.hk/web/eng/swift_swallow_report_eng.html

Swallow
Research

in Europe

Spring Alive is an educational project of BirdLife International to encouragechildren’s interest in nature and the conservation of migratory birds, to getthem to take action for birds and other wildlife as well as to participate in events
organized by BirdLife Partners.
By posting their observations of Barn Swallow, White Stork, Common Cuckoo,
Common Swift, and European Bee-eater on the www.springalive.net website,children from Europe, Central Asia and Africa create a real-time map of theincredible journeys these birds take every year.
Spring Alive brings together children, their teachers and families to record theirfirst sightings of the above mentioned, easily recognized migratory birds.
Each year, spring begins with a few scattered early sightings in warm countries,
which are displayed as patches of pale orange on the Spring Alive map, as more
sightings flood in, the colour spreads and deepens, until all the countries wherethese birds breed are a rich, glowing orange.
Creating the map is one of the core activities. But Spring Alive involves lots
more indoor and outdoor events, to engage children, schools and the wider
community in the conservation of migratory birds, and to encourage them tosupport their national BirdLife Partners.
Spring Alive began in 2006 as a European project, which soon spread toCentral Asia. In 2010, Spring Alive was extended to Africa, where from
September onwards children look out for the return of the same fivespecies from their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia.
Spring Alive is organized by OTOP, the BirdLife Partner in Poland, on
behalf of the BirdLife Partnership.

19

Green Holiday
in Taiwan
Keelung

GuanduTaipei

GaomeiTaichung

1st
13th – 16th Sept.
2014

International conservation volunteer tour
for swallows and wetlands
Green Holiday is quite a new concept for tourism developed by Wild
Bird Society of Japan, which entails practical conservation work,
lectures set up with NGOs and the local people. The project started
from 2009 at 3 sanctuaries of WBSJ, expanded- international in 2014
as Green Holiday in Taiwan.
The main focus is Barn Swallows and wetland habitats, a common
migratory bird in both Taiwan and Japan.
The 1st Green Holiday in Taiwan was held from 13th to 16th Sept2014 at Guandu Nature Park (Taipei) and Chuhong Lake (Keelung).
Japanese and Taiwanese volunteers have joined and cleaned up theponds to protect foraging site for swallows.
The 2nd and 3rd Green Holiday in Taiwan, we moved our destinationfrom Taipei to Taichung. We worked for the protection of wetland
ecosystem in Gaomei wetland, Important Bird and Biodiversity
Area in Taiwan. The participants have performed a high efficiency
by clearing invasive plants “Smooth Grass (Spartina alterniflora)”
spreading rapidly into Gaomei Wetland with local volunteers anduniversity students.
We also visited 2 local schools, Gaomei Elementary School and Kuo
Kuang Elementary School, which started swallow observation withstudents in spring 2015.
We observed swallow
breeding on the street anddiscussed about swallow
and our precious nature withlovely students.
Removing water lettuce
at Chuhong Lake

Swallow roost watch at
Wugu wetland

Volunteers’
Voice
Pum Soontornkit

A volunteer from Japan
International Green Holiday brought together people of different ages, sexes,
occupations and nations. It gave all of us chances to get our hands dirty andsweat from hard work, and by feeling, and touching our mother natures. It
made us feel and realize why we need to save and preserve our environment
and ecology together. The trip also helped us to appreciate the importance of
natures and our ecology system naturally.
With many activities from field works, exchanges ideas and knowledges with local participants, we got
so many chances to see many wild birds, dragonflies, butterflies and most impressively barn swallow
roost. By working and seeing, we knew our work to save our natures and ecology were in fact, not foranyone else, but for ourselves, our future generations and our future environments.
I have gained so much from this trip, not just realized the importance of natures, but gained the pricelessexperience and friendship among the participants both Japanese and Taiwanese.
Work to save our environment can’t be done just by one country, one person, and one time.
And we don’t need to be physically strong to get involved in such program. The love of nature is by heartand passion in each individual.

20

Local voice

David Wu

teacher, Kuo Kuang Elementary School

Kevin Wu

Wild Bird Association of Taiwan
Though it’s only few days, we can feel
their heart-felt joy for eco conservation.
I was also glad to see them counting
Barn Swallow and talking withstudents happily which increased thefriendship between two countries.

Swallow nests observation
with school children

We watched Barn Swallow, the closest creature to people.
We recorded their nesting, mating, hatching, breeding andtraining the chicks flying for independence. And some of thembred again for the second time. The process has fulfilled theteachers’ as well as students’ hearts of Kuo Kuang Elementary
School. We also felt touched by the happy volunteers of Wild
Bird Society of Japan came afar for conserving the habitat ofBarn Swallows which inspired us the concept of conservation
has no boundary and there is only one planet.
Thank these Japanese friends’ kind sharing and instruction.
We believe it’s fate that connects us.

3rd
18th – 21st Sept.
2015

Removing invasive plant
at Gaomei Wetland

2nd
25th – 28th April.
2015
Cross communication
with studentsFor
the future

Now the concept of Green Holiday shared with Taiwanese volunteers andlocally-based Green Holiday in Taiwan has started by Wild Bird Associationof Taiwan and Ecotourism Taiwan at Gaomei Wetland, for the protectionof wetland by removing Smooth Grass (Spartina alterniflora) and creating
spaces for local plants. Many young people including university students are
joining this activity and learning nature conservation.
Regarding to swallow observation by school children, the worksheets in thisguidebook were translated into Chinese and used by Elementary Schools in
Taiwan. It will be shared with conservation NGOs in mainland China for theuse of swallow observation with school children in China.

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Information
Sticker“Give swallows
a home”“Give Swallows a Home” is a small round sticker written in 3 languages(English, Chinese, Japanese). It will help communication between local
residents and children during swallow observation.
When you are conducting a swallow survey with children, let children ask theresidents to put the stickers on or beside the door to let people know there
is a swallow nest.
Sticker“Give Swallows a Home”

Original picture was drawn
by a student of Shen mei
Elementary School.

When you find a swallow neston the street…

Let’s ask the residents to put the swallow
sticker on their house.

Avian Fluawarenessand swallow
observation

There are numerous strains of the avian flu virus, but the risk of contracting
the disease from wild bird is very low.
Almost all of the human cases of infection have been due to extremely close
contact with infected domestic poultry.
It is also not really possible that returning swallows have been infected byavian flu.
If Barn swallows are infected by avian flu in their wintering site or migrationroute, they will not be able to survive the long journey of thousands of miles.
The risk of a nesting swallow in your house being infected is very small, andthe risk of receiving the virus is also extremely small.
The fear of avian flu drives some people to keep their distance from wild
birds, some people even destroy nests and drive birds away, but such action
will not provide protection from disease.
As a precaution you should avoid touching sick or dead birds, but it isextremely unlikely that avian flu could be transmitted to people by justobserving swallows.

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Education forsustainable
development––Quote from Birds
quest, RSPB

What is WBSJ

Over the next few years you will hear less about environmental educationand much more about education for sustainable development. What is thedifference?
Environmental education is essentially education about the environment with
an implicit hope that children will develop the skills and attitudes that will
enable to make informed decisions about environmental issues.
Education for sustainable development contains all of the environment
education, but adds much more. It starts from the aim of humanity altering
its behavior to achieve sustainable living. This means living in a way that
does not deplete non-renewable resources that will be needed by future
generations. It acknowledges that people are both the problem and thesolution to most environmental problems, and recognizes that political,
economic and cultural behavior have a big part to play in sustainable living.

Wild Bird Society of Japan (WBSJ) is the charity organization that takes
action for wild birds and the environment. It has joined a global partnershipcalled Birdlife International.
We are the largest conservation NGO in Japan, supported by over 45000
members and donors.
WBSJ was established in 1934 for the purpose of conserving birds and theirhabitats to share the joy of nature with people.
Our aim is to continue to provide a rich natural environment to future
generations by conserving the habitats for birds and our precious biodiversity.
We secure a healthy environment for birds by managing nature reserves andsanctuaries, conduct a national survey on wild birds, promote bird watchingas a healthy and fulfilling hobby, and educate people to understand nature
conservation. http://www.wbsj.org

References• Bird Quest (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, RSPB)• Primary PE (RSPB)• Information swallows-summer favourites (RSPB)• Survey of House Swift and Barn swallow nests in Hong Kong 2006 Report (Hong Kong Bird Watching Society)• 40years swallow survey result in Ishikawa (Ishikawa Prefecture Healthy Citizens Campaign Promotion Headquarters, 2011)
The survey method in this guidebook is inspired by swallow survey in Ishikawa• Tanbo no – Ikimonotachi Tsubame (Life in the paddy field ––Barn Swallow––, Kazuo Koyama, Nobutoshi Sato, Hitoshi Watanabe,published by Nobunkyo, Tokyo 2012)• The Barn Swallow (Angela Turner, T&AD Poyser, London 2006)

Barn Swallows Observation guideSupported by the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Programme, Toyota Motor Corporation.
Published by Wild Bird Society of Japan, 3-9-23 Maruwa-Bldg Nishi-Gotanda Shinagawa-ku  Tokyo Japan 141-0031
Copyright: This resource may be copied for educational use only.
It may not be copied for any other purposes without prior written permission by WBSJ.
Written by: Hiroko Okamoto (Wild Bird Society of Japan)
Co-Written by: Victor Yu (Ecotourism Taiwan)
Illustrations by: Minori Kataoka (Wild Bird Society of Japan)
Photo by: Cezary Korkosz (p19), Yuzo Nakagawa (p18), Kamila Nienaltowska (p19), Nobutoshi Sato (p17 right), Itsuo Tabata (p6),
Sze Wong (p19), David Wu (p4,6)
Designed by: Manami Yasuda
Supervised by: Tsutomu SUZUKI
Special thanks to: Per Blomberg, Barrie Cooper, Vivian Fu (Hong Kong Birdwatching Society), Karolina Kalinowska (International
Spring Alive Manager), Volker Mauerhofer, Takako Sato, Anders Selmer, Masami Shimozawa (Ishikawa Prefecture Healthy Citizens
Campaign Promotion Headquarters), Lo Wai Yan (Hong Kong Birdwatching Society), Zhi-Wei Wang (Gaomei Elementary School),
Meijung Yeh (Kuo Kuang Elementary School), Shen-Mei Elementary School, Wild Bird Society of Keelung23Calling all teachers /education leaders
Please take a few minutes to help us to help you by filling the evaluation form
below.
Did you find this guide book useful?

Yes

No

Did you do Barn Swallow observation at your school?

Yes

No

With which age group did you do? ()

How many children participated the survey? ()

How could the activities, worksheets, or information in this guidebook be
improved?

Please give us your comments or any feedback regarding to swallow
observation activity in your school.

Please send the survey result (the number of nests, nest distribution map,
observation details, comments from the children, photos or videos) to Wild Bird
Society of Japan. We are happy to share the swallow information with you.
*Country :*Name :
*Job title :*School / Organization name :*Address :*Telephone :*E-mail :The WBSJ would like to hold details about you to send you further information about birds and nature conservation.
We review these details to help us understand more about you and to contact you about our campaign work. We may
also ask you to take part in confidential market research. If you prefer us not to use your details in any of these ways,
please tick here
We promise neither sell nor tell your details to anyone else.
Please return your form to : Wild Bird Society of Japan, 3-9-23 Maruwa-Bldg Nishi-Gotanda Shinagawa-ku TokyoJapan 141-0031  FAX : +81-3-5436-2635  E-mail : hogo@wbsj.org

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