The nests are in a hollow space above the ceiling. Some
breeding pairs share one hole to enter their nests.
Allon Bear observes the colony.
This
is one of the biggest colonies under observation. About 100 pairs of Common
Swifts breed in a ruined building in Tel Aviv every year. Pieces of the
concrete ceilings have broken away so that there are holes through to the
space above. All nests can be reached from below and several pairs share one
hole for access to their nests. More than 150 nests havebeen
counted spread over several floors.
This
colony is observed by Allon Bear and reports will be published soon.
Papers
written about this colony: Tigges, Ulrich
(2001): Departure and arrival of the Common Swift (Apus apus) in Tel
Aviv, Israel, in 1999-2000. Sandgrouse 23: 59