Invertebrate availability and vegetation characteristics explain use of nonnesting cover types by mature‐forest songbirds during the postfledging period

ABSTRACT Some species of mature‐forest‐nesting songbirds use regenerating clearcuts and forested wetlands during the postfledging period (between nesting and migration). Relatively dense vegetation structure and abundant food resources in non‐mature‐forest cover types have been hypothesized to explain this phenomenon. We examined the relative importance of vegetation structure and invertebrate availability on use of nonnesting cover types by adult and hatch‐year Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla) and American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) during the postfledging period of 2009 in northern Minnesota. We used mist nets to sample bird use of forested wetlands and regenerating clearcuts of three age groups: 1–6, 7–12, and 16–19 yr after harvest. We modeled captures of birds using vegetation characteristics and invertebrate availability sampled around nets as explanatory variables. For all birds studied, captures were best explained by food availability and secondarily by vegetation characteristics including litter depth and woody debris for Ovenbirds and canopy height for American Redstarts. Shrub‐level invertebrate availability received a cumulative weight of 0.74–0.99 in Akaike's information criterion corrected ranked models for adult and hatch‐year birds of both species. Vegetation density and variation in vegetation density explained almost no variation in captures of either species. We conclude that both invertebrate availability and some vegetation characteristics influence use of nonnesting cover types by Ovenbirds and American Redstarts during the postfledging period, but that invertebrate availability is generally the stronger predictor of that use.     

A recipe for postfledging survival in great tits Parus major: be large and be early (but not too much)

Survival of juveniles during the postfledging period can be markedly low, which may have major consequences on avian population dynamics. Knowing which factors operating during the nesting phase affect postfledging survival is crucial to understand avian breeding strategies. We aimed to obtain a robust set of predictors of postfledging local survival using the great tit (Parus major) as a model species. We used mark–recapture models to analyze the effect of hatching date, temperatures experienced during the nestling period, fledging size and body mass on first‐year postfledging survival probability of great tit juveniles. We used data from 5192 nestlings of first clutches ringed between 1993 and 2010. Mean first‐year postfledging survival probability was 15.2%, and it was lower for smaller individuals, as well as for those born in either very early or late broods. Our results stress the importance of choosing an optimum hatching period, and raising large chicks to increase first‐year local survival probability in the studied population.     

Adventitious feather replacement favours a more rapid regeneration of primaries over rectrices in two passerine bird species

There is increasing evidence of adaptive preferential investment during moult in those feather tracts that are more advantageous for fitness. In this study, we assessed whether, after the manual removal of two functionally different flight feathers (one primary and one rectrix), birds from two common passerine species (Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla and European Robin Erithacus rubecula) favoured the regeneration of primary (supposedly the most functionally important feathers) over rectrix feathers. Our results did not show differences between replaced primary and rectrix feathers in their final length, but demonstrated that the gap left by the loss of the primary feather was filled earlier, suggesting that a rapid repair of the most essential feather tracts is also evolutionarily advantageous during the adventitious replacement of plumage.     

Does the proportion of arthropods versus fruit in the diet influence overwintering condition of an omnivorous songbird?

Many migratory songbirds switch from a primarily insectivorous diet during the breeding season to either a mixed diet or fruit diet during the non‐breeding season. However, for species with mixed diets, arthropods may be superior food items because of their higher protein content and easier digestibility. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the diet and body condition of omnivorous Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) at a non‐breeding site in tropical forest in Belize, Central America. We used analysis of stable isotopes δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C in the blood to measure diet. Our objective was to determine if a higher dietary proportion of arthropods relative to fruit (i.e., higher δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) was associated with better body condition. We also examined the possible effect of age, sex, and habitat type on Wood Thrush diets, as well as any changes in diet through the overwintering period. We used a hierarchical Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) to estimate the proportion of different prey items in the diet of overwintering Wood Thrushes overall, in each habitat type, and over time during the non‐breeding period. From January to April, we found a significant decline in δ¹⁵N in forest habitats, whereas δ¹⁵N increased in scrub habitat. There was no significant seasonal change in δ¹³C. Birds with higher δ¹⁵N or δ¹³C values were not in better body condition. Females in dry‐scrub habitat consumed more fruit than males, but this did not affect body condition. Mixing model results indicated that most Wood Thrushes at our study sites consumed primarily arthropods, even during the driest times of the non‐breeding season and in the driest habitat. Overall, our results suggest that the diet of Wood Thrushes varies with habitat and during the overwintering period, but diet alone was not a predictor of body condition. Wood Thrushes, and possibly other omnivorous migratory songbirds, are apparently flexibly able to meet their wintering and pre‐migration nutritional demands with a variety of diets.     

The Impact of Forest Disturbance on the Seasonal Foraging Ecology of a Critically Endangered African Primate

Forest loss and fragmentation threaten many primates globally, and often leads to a reduction in food resources. During a 22 ‐ mo period, the foraging ecology of the critically endangered kipunji Rungwecebus kipunji was studied in the heterogeneous Rungwe–Livingstone forests, southwest Tanzania, to identify periods of possible ecological stress, fallback foods used by the species, and the impact of forest disturbance on feeding resources. The studied group had a wide diet and was predominantly frugivorous. Fruit consumption was driven by fruit availability which peaked during the wet season, and dipped during the driest months. During this period, two fallback foods: mature leaves and pith were widely consumed, with Macaranga capensis an essential fallback species. α diversity and evenness of diet was remarkably similar across months, but there was high β diversity in diets at the cusp of wet and dry seasons, and during periods of low fruit availability. This suggests considerable dietary adaptability to fluctuating resources, which may act to buffer against further forest disturbance. Tree species associated with relatively undisturbed forest were significantly more important in the diet, especially in the dry season, than those of disturbed forests. Regeneration of key trees (determined through counting of seedlings and saplings in plots) appeared healthy except in two important Ficus species. Conservation management, while focusing on promoting old growth forest, should also consider populations of some important pioneer tree species such as Macaranga capensis both inside the forest and in any reforestation schemes outside the species’ current area of occupancy.     

Ecological strategies of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha) at Tinigua National Park,Colombia

Information on the use of space, activity patterns, diet, and social interactions were recorded for a group of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha) during 13 months at Tinigua National Park, Macarena, Colombia. In this region, fruit abundance changes throughout the year with a peak during March–April (beginning of the rainy season) and less fruit during September-November (end of rainy season). Woolly monkeys spent most of their time in mature forest where fruit abundance is higher than in opendegraded or flooded forests. Changes in habitat used by monkeys were coupled with changes in fruit supply across vegetation types. On an annual basis, woolly monkeys spent 24% of point samples locomoting, 36% resting, 36% feeding, and 4% on other activities. However, these proportions varied across the year depending on fruit availability. Based on instantaneous samples, the diet consisted mostly of fruits (60%), arthropods (23%), vegetative parts and flowers (17%), and other items (1%). Non-lactating females and juveniles spent more time eating insects than adult males and lactating females; however, significant differences between classes were detected only during the period of fruit scarcity. These differences are probably due to the high extent to which non-lactating females and juveniles were excluded from fruiting trees by males. The high proportion of arthropods in their diet is unusual for primates with large body size and is a possible factor influencing group cohesiveness in woolly monkeys. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Primate frugivory in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and its implications for human use of forest resources

In an attempt to understand the practical and/or economic implications of primate seed dispersal, it was established which seed species are dispersed by frugivorous primates in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and which of this sort of species were used by Ugandan people. A list of fruit species consumed by Kibale primates was compiled using primary data and by reviewing all known published accounts of their fruit diet. Primates consume the fruit of 87 Kibale forest tree species; the seeds of 11% of these species are destroyed by the primates. The remaining 77 species are dispersed by either one, two, three or all four of the frugivorous Kibale primates. Of these 77 species, 42% have some utility to local Ugandan inhabitants, suggesting that maintaining populations of primates is important not only for natural forest regeneration, but also for human habitat use. This report illustrates the complexity of the seed dispersal process and suggests links not only between plants and their dispersers, but also between sets of plants/dispersers and the human populations that rely on forest resources.     

Orangutan diet,range, and activity at Tanjung Puting,Central Borneo

Previously, wild orangutan feeding and ranging behaviors have been described only from populations in hilly or mountainous regions. The Tanjung Puting study focuses on an orangutan population in a swampy lowland area near sea level. Tanjung Puting also differs from other areas in the virtual absence of large figs, which are significant orangutan food sources elsewhere. During a 4-year period and 6804 hr of observation, focal orangutans were recorded in 11,338 foraging bouts accounting for 3805 hr. Composition and phenology of the forest habitat were documented. The orangutans were predominantly frugivorous, with fruit-eating accounting for 61% of the foraging time. However, the overall variety in their diet was remarkable; 317 different food types have been identified, including fungus, insects, and honey. Orang-utans were strongly opportunistic foragers, with the composition of their diet varying markedly from month to month. During most months orangutans fed on a complex mix of fruit, leaves, bark, insects, and small vines. During some months fruit was not the major component of the diet. All orangutans foraged in both the dry-ground mixed dipterocarp forest and the peatswamp forest habitats found in their ranges. Adult males and females utilized different proportions of certain resources in their diets. Prime adult males also ranged further per day and spent more time on the ground than prime adult females. At Tanjung Puting contact with other orangutans usually increased a focal orangutan’s day length, day range, and amount of time spent moving. This suggests that foraging alone maximized each orangutan’s foraging returns by minimizing the day range traveled. Orangutan solitariness is the result of a large body size and of a predominantly frugivorous and opportunistic diet.     

Diet and Feeding Ecology of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Bulindi, Uganda: Foraging Strategies at the Forest–Farm Interface

Wild animals increasingly inhabit human-influenced environments such as forest fragments amid agricultural systems. Dietary studies provide a means of assessing wildlife responses to anthropogenic habitat changes. Chimpanzees are specialist frugivores that consume other plant parts, e.g., fibrous pith and leaves, in greater amounts during fruit shortages. I examined the plant diet and seasonal foraging strategies of chimpanzees inhabiting small forest fragments within a cultivated landscape in Uganda. I determined diet over 13 mo via systematic fecal analysis, supplemented by direct observation and feeding trace evidence. I identified important foods and examined their role as seasonal fallbacks. Diet composition and breadth were overall species typical. Chimpanzees were highly frugivorous and the fruit component of fecal samples exceeded that of nonfruit fiber in all months. Forest fruit availability fluctuated seasonally, including a 3-mo low fruiting season, when overall fruit intake declined. During this time chimpanzees pursued a mixed strategy of increasing fiber consumption and feeding more heavily on energy-rich cultivars, including those obtained through crop raiding. The data suggest that exploiting agricultural fruits helped chimpanzees maintain a fruit-dominated diet when forest fruit was scarce. No evidence suggested this disturbed forest–farm mosaic is a food-impoverished habitat for chimpanzees overall. Nevertheless, cultivar feeding creates conflict with people and the high nutritional quality of crops is likely offset by the inherent risk associated with obtaining them. This study adds to growing evidence of ecological and behavioral adaptability of Pan troglodytes in response to anthropogenic habitat alteration. Targeted conservation of key natural foods for wildlife —particularly fallbacks— would help reduce conflicts and improve the survival prospects of threatened species sharing environments with people.     

Trophic structure of a neotropical frugivore community: is there competition between birds and bats?

Summary Dietary overlap and competition between frugivorous birds and bats in the Neotropics have been presumed to be low, but comparative data have been lacking. We determined the diets of volant frugivores in an early successional patch of Costa Rican wet forest over a one month period. Ordination of the diet matrix by Reciprocal Averaging revealed that birds and bats tend to feed on different sets of fruits and that diets differed more among bat species than among bird species. However, there was overlap between Scarlet-rumped Tanagers and three Carollia bat species on fruits of several Piper species which comprised most of the diet of these bats. Day/night exclosure experiments on P. friedrichsthalli treetlets provided evidence that birds deplete the amount of ripe fruit available to bats. These results indicate that distantly related taxa may overlap in diet and compete for fruit, despite the apparent adaptation of animal-dispersed plant species for dispersal by particular animal taxa.     

Sympatric Chimpanzees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pan troglodytes troglodytes</Emphasis>) and Gorillas (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gorilla gorilla gorilla</Emphasis>) in Loango National Park,Gabon: Dietary Composition,Seasonality, and Intersite Comparisons

Dietary overlap of sympatric apes is complex and understudied, but its examination is essential to further our understanding of species distribution, abundance, and community ecology. Over 3 yr we studied food availability and dietary composition of central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Loango National Park, Gabon. We predicted that living in a habitat dominated by mature forest with sparse terrestrial herbaceous vegetation would lead to an increase in frugivory by gorillas, resulting in increased dietary overlap between the 2 ape species vs. other sites, but that chimpanzees would remain more frugivorous than gorillas. Through fecal analysis we measured overlap in fruit consumption between the 2 species on a bimonthly basis using the Renkonens method. Mean overlap was 27.5% but varied greatly seasonally, ranging between 0.3% and 69%, indicating that when examined on a finer scale, the degree of overlap appears much lower than at other study sites. In contrast to studies elsewhere, there was not a positive correlation between rainfall and fruit availability in Loango, and the long dry season was a period of high fruit production. As observed elsewhere, we found a positive correlation between fruit consumption and fruit availability for both chimpanzees and gorillas and we found that chimpanzees were more frugivorous than gorillas. A very low availability of herbs did not lead to increased frugivory by gorillas nor increased overlap between the 2 ape species vs. other field sites. We conclude that forest composition, fruit availability, and dietary variability of sympatric species can vary greatly between locations, and that chimpanzees and gorillas can adapt to primary forest with little undergrowth, where they concentrate their diet on fruit and leaves.     

Some aspects of frugivory by bird populations using coastal dune scrub in Lincolnshire

The fruit diets of Sylvia warblers, and some thrushes, were studied during 1989 at a coastal scrubland site, using faecal examination. Fruit feeding commenced as the earliest berries ripened in late July, but there were differences of timing between species. Amongst both warblers and thrushes, the larger species commenced earlier and ate more fruit. Almost all Blackcap and Garden Warbler faeces examined from early August contained some fruit remains, as did most Whitethroat faeces from mid-month. Mean fruit contents of faecal samples exceeded 80% infrequently, indicating that even the most frugivorous species always took other food, normally insects, to supplement their diet. Each species differed in their fruit diet: Blackcaps, and to a lesser extent Garden Warblers, ate Woody Nightshade berries in preference to Blackberries, as they are structurally adapted for feeding on the former plant. Only inexperienced juveniles of other species regularly chose the Nightshade berries. Elder berries, abundant from late August, became the preferred fruit for all Sylvia species. Using data from an earlier investigation, 1 it is shown that by feeding on Elder berries, migrating Blackcaps can obtain 75–90% of their daily energy requirements in 10% of daylight hours.     

Assessing the Success of Restoration Plantings in a Temperate New Zealand Forest

The success of restoration plantings in restoring indigenous forest vascular plant and ground invertebrate biodiversity was assessed on previously grass-covered sites in the eastern South Island, New Zealand. The composition and structure of grassland, three different aged restoration plantings (12, 30, and 35 years old), a naturally regenerating forest (100 years old), and a remnant of the original old-growth forest of the area were measured. The restoration plantings are dominated by the native tree Olearia paniculata, which is not indigenous to the study area. Despite this, indigenous forest invertebrate and plant species are present in all three restoration sites and with increasing age the restoration sites become compositionally more similar to the naturally regenerating and mature forest sites. In particular the regenerating vegetation of the restoration sites is very similar floristically to the regenerating vegetation of the naturally regenerating and mature forest sites, despite marked differences in the current canopy vegetation reflecting the presence of the planted O. paniculata. The presence of regeneration in all three restoration sites indicates that the functional processes that initiate regeneration, such as dispersal, are present. The majority of regenerating tree species (71%) are bird dispersed and it is clear that birds play an important role in the recolonization of plant species at these sites despite the absence of edible fruit attractive to frugivorous birds on O. paniculata, a wind-dispersed species. The strong correlations between plant and invertebrate community composition and study-site age (r = 0.80, ?0.24, ?0.68 for plants, beetles, and spiders, respectively) suggest that the restoration site plant and invertebrate communities are undergoing change in the direction of the naturally regenerating and mature forest communities. Without restoration, colonization of grassland by forest plants is very slow in the study area and the restoration plantings studied here have been successful because they have considerably accelerated the return to forest at these sites.     

Viability selection on prey morphology by a generalist predator

Prey use their locomotory capacity to escape predators, and there should thus be strong viability selection on locomotory morphology of prey. We compared feather morphology of wood pigeons Columba palumbus killed by goshawks Accipiter gentilis with that of survivors to quantify directional and quadratic selection on primary and rectrix feathers. The goshawk is mainly a predator attacking by surprise, leaving wood pigeons with an ability to accelerate fast at a selective advantage. There was directional selection for light primary feathers with a narrow calamus. In addition, there was directional selection for increased area of rectrices. These patterns of natural selection were confirmed in multivariate analyses of selection that showed selection for light primary feathers with a large area and narrow calamus and for a large area of rectrix feathers. These results provide evidence of selection on different aspects of feather morphology directly related to flight performance and thus escape ability from predators.     

Equal nonbreeding period survival in adults and juveniles of a long‐distant migrant bird

In migrant birds, survival estimates for the different life‐history stages between fledging and first breeding are scarce. First‐year survival is shown to be strongly reduced compared with annual survival of adult birds. However, it remains unclear whether the main bottleneck in juvenile long‐distant migrants occurs in the postfledging period within the breeding ranges or en route. Quantifying survival rates during different life‐history stages and during different periods of the migration cycle is crucial to understand forces driving the evolution of optimal life histories in migrant birds. Here, we estimate survival rates of adult and juvenile barn swallows (Hirundo rustica L.) in the breeding and nonbreeding areas using a population model integrating survival estimates in the breeding ranges based on a large radio‐telemetry data set and published estimates of demographic parameters from large‐scale population‐monitoring projects across Switzerland. Input parameters included the country‐wide population trend, annual productivity estimates of the double‐brooded species, and year‐to‐year survival corrected for breeding dispersal. Juvenile survival in the 3‐week postfledging period was low (S = 0.32; SE = 0.05), whereas in the rest of the annual cycle survival estimates of adults and juveniles were similarly high (S > 0.957). Thus, the postfledging period was the main survival bottleneck, revealing the striking result that nonbreeding period mortality (including migration) is not higher for juveniles than for adult birds. Therefore, focusing future research on sources of variation in postfledging mortality can provide new insights into determinants of population dynamics and life‐history evolution of migrant birds.     

Seed dispersal by red howling monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in the tropical rain forest of French Guiana

A 2-year field study of the frugivorous diet of a howling monkey troop, in a tropical rain forest in French Guiana, shows that they disperse by endozoochory ≥95% of plant species from which they eat ripe fruit. Passage through the digestive tract of howlers does not significantly modify the germination success of most plant species samples. Their low digestion rate (X = 20 hr 40 min) is the ultimate cause of a bimodal defecation rhythm that results in the concentration of 60% of defecations being deposited under sleeping sites. The distance of seed dispersal can reach more than 550 m from parent trees,with a mean of 260 m. Although howling monkeys consume fruits differing in morphological characteristics, they are particularly able to disseminate seeds of species whose fruits have a hard and indehiscent external coat or large seeds or both. In French Guiana, they may be especially important dispersers of the Sapotaceae with fruits that simultaneously present both characteristics.     

Postfledging Survival and Development of Juvenile Lilac-Crowned Parrots

Abstract: We fitted radiotransmitters to 68 lilac-crowned parrot (Amazona finschi) fledglings from 1996 to 2003 to determine the survival and development of juveniles during their first year after leaving the nest. Overall, first-year survival was 73% (CI = 53–94%) and all mortalities occurred within 5 weeks of fledging, with highest mortality in the first week postfledging. Survival varied between years, influencing recruitment of independent young in the population. Nesting lilac-crowned parrots produced 0.70 independent young per egg-laying pair during 1996–2003. Lowest productivity of 0.25 independent young per pair occurred in 2003, with 40% postfledging survival. Juvenile development after fledging was characterized by variations in mobility, distance from the nest, and separation distance between siblings. Mobility and distance of young birds from the nest increased linearly with months postfledging. The first 2–3 weeks after fledging were characterized by low mobility and survival of young parrots, making this the most critical phase postfledging. The dependency period for young parrots extended to 4–5 months postfledging and was characterized by increased mobility and low separation between siblings, as juveniles traveled in family groups. Independence occurred in month 5 and was marked by a significant increase in mobility and separation between siblings, indicating the break-up of family groups. The first weeks after leaving the nest were crucial for survival and highlight the need for secure habitats where fledglings can improve flight and locomotory skills. The 4–5-month dependency of young parrots may be a key period for development, enhancing survival, and establishment in the breeding population. Release programs need to replicate learning and development acquired during the postfledging dependency phase to enhance survival of captive-reared psittacines. Researchers should conduct surveys of parrot group sizes during the dependency period 1–4 months after the end of nesting to provide reliable demographic data on annual recruitment of wild populations.     

Ecological Responses of Frugivorous Bats to Seasonal Fluctuation in Fruit Availability in Amazonian Forests

Lowland Amazon is climatically one of the least seasonal regions on the planet, but little is known about how this is reflected in ecological seasonality. The central objective of this study was to determine whether seasonal fluctuations in the availability of fruit resources in Neotropical forests are sufficiently marked to affect the ecology and physiology of frugivorous bats. Seasonal variations in the overall bat abundance and in the captures, body condition, and reproductive activity of the two most abundant species, Carollia perspicillata and Artibeus planirostris, were studied within a region of central Brazilian Amazonia dominated by a mosaic of nonflooded (terra firme) and seasonally flooded forests (várzea and igapó). Concurrent seasonal changes in fruit availability were measured. The abundance of fruits was markedly seasonal, with far fewer resources available during the low-water season. There was a positive correlation between fruit and bat abundance. Overall, bats did not increase the consumption of arthropods during the period of fruit shortage. In A. planirostris, the body condition declined when fruits were scarcer. In both C. perspicillata and A. planirostris, foraging and reproductive activity were positively correlated with fruit availability. Consequently, the results suggest that resource seasonality is sufficiently marked to affect frugivorous bats and force them to make important eco-physiological adjustments.     

Skuas (Stercorarius spp.) moult body feathers during both the breeding and inter‐breeding periods: implications for stable isotope investigations in seabirds

Seabirds are mostly thought to moult during the inter‐breeding period and the isotopic values of their feathers are often therefore assumed to relate to their assimilated diet during such periods. We observed Brown Skuas Stercorarius antarcticus lonnbergi and South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki moulting on a breeding site at King George Island, Antarctica. This raises concerns about the reliability of using stable isotopes in feathers to infer feeding localities of birds during the inter‐breeding period. We analysed the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of growing and fully grown body feathers collected from the same individuals. For both species, δ¹³C values of growing feathers indicated feeding areas in the Antarctic zone (breeding grounds), whereas most fully grown feathers (100% for South Polar Skuas and 93.3% for Brown Skuas) could be assigned to northern latitudes (non‐breeding grounds). However, a few fully grown body feathers of Brown Skuas (6.7% of the feathers, belonging to two birds) showed isotopic values that indicated moult in the Antarctic zone. As the growth period of those feathers was unknown, they could not be used with confidence to depict the foraging behaviour of the birds during the non‐breeding period. Although precautions must be taken when inferring dietary information from feathers in seabirds where the moulting pattern is unknown, this study shows that if the development stage of a feather (growing/fully grown) is identified, then dietary information from both breeding and non‐breeding seasons can be obtained on the same individual birds.     

Temporal and spatial patterns of flight and body feather molt of Bank,Barn, and Cliff swallows in North and South America

Molt is energetically demanding and various molt strategies (i.e., molt series, duration, intensity, timing, and location) have evolved to reduce the negative fitness consequences of this process. As such, molt varies considerably among species. Identifying where and when specific feathers are molted is also crucial to inform species‐specific studies using stable isotope markers to assign individuals to geographical regions where they molt. Using museum specimens, we examined the molt of three species of migratory swallows in the Americas: Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia), Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), and Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota). All three species have one primary and two secondary molt series. Bank and Cliff swallows had one rectrix molt series, and Barn Swallows molted the outer rectrix (R6) separately from the inner five rectrices (R1‐5). All three species have a relatively long flight feather molt duration (i.e., 140–183 days) and low molt intensity. Barn Swallows initiated flight feather molt in the fall, about 2 months later than Bank and Cliff swallows. Barn Swallows likely delay molt because of constraints associated with double brooding. For all three species, molt started with the primaries and inner secondaries and was closely followed by the rectrices and, finally, the outer secondaries. For those that began and then interrupted molt either in breeding areas or during fall migration, the first feathers molted were predominantly S8 and P1. All three species underwent body molt throughout the year, but most individuals molted their body plumage in wintering areas. We recommend that the most appropriate feathers for stable isotope research examining migratory connectivity and habitat use are either R2‐R4 or S2‐S4.