You learn something new everyday. Today I learned that Barn Swallows can breed cooperatively.
It started when I observed 3 adults building a nest in my porch. I looked up Birds of the World.
So, yes, a nonparent adult can help a pair build a nest and attend to other chores.
But before you go "awww"--it becomes sinister the more you dig into it.
Some male helpers kill nestlings to induce divorce among the parents. They then take over the brooding female.
As I often tell my ornithology students, DNA evidence has unearthed a lot of "dirty laundry" in the bird world.
For more on this, click here.
KannanFt. Smith
