A hopeful sign for a bird in decline: helping Montana's tree swallows

This story is about tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), common North American birds that appear to be declining in many parts of their range. It’s about a project along the Missouri River in Montana, USA to help address this decline by providing tree swallows with nest boxes. It’s about an elegant insect-eater that twists and darts through the air, the researchers who are trying to help it, and the habitats at the water’s edge where these birds nest and feed. And it’s about finding hope on the wings of a tree swallow. The podcast features recordings I made of the tree swallows and a western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) in May 2024 below Holter Dam, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, one year after the tree swallow research team installed nest boxes there.  Find the illustrated transcript of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2024/06/01/tree-swallows-montana/