Bank Swallow in May
Where bank swallows are in May, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
May in the Bank Swallow's year
May is the peak of the birding year. Migration floods the North, dawn chorus is at its loudest, and nesting is underway across most of the continent. By month's end the first broods of the year are hatching in mid-latitudes.
For the Bank Swallow specifically, May is a spring month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 61 states and provinces where bank swallows occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where bank swallows are in May
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- summer breeder
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In May, bank swallows are absent in the South, summer breeder across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in May
May is inside the Bank Swallow nesting season — about a month earlier in the South and a month later in the North. Nest: burrow dug 1–3 ft into a sand or gravel bank. Clutch 1–7 eggs, incubation 13–16 days, 1 per season.
In the South the season is already underway, while northern birds are still settling territories — a pair in Florida or Texas may be on eggs weeks before a pair in Minnesota or Ontario has even chosen a nest site. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in May
- Flies, mayflies, beetles and winged ants
Digs nest burrows in vertical sand banks in big colonies; needs eroding riverbanks or sand pits.
Adults feeding nestlings need easy calories. Some species that ignored feeders all winter now visit regularly, and you may see fledglings brought to feeders by their parents.
Full Bank Swallow diet guide → · Best feeder for bank swallows →
Watching bank swallows this month
In May, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region bank swallows are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Bank Swallow month by month
Bank Swallow by state
Frequently asked
Where are bank swallows in May?
In May, bank swallows are absent in the South, summer breeder across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do bank swallows nest in May?
Yes — May falls inside the Bank Swallow nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do bank swallows eat in May?
Flies, mayflies, beetles and winged ants.
Sources
- Bank Swallow — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bank Swallow life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bank Swallow — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.