Once upon a time, a barn swallow had the not-so-great idea of building its nest in the entryway of a house in suburbia instead of one of the more traditional locations — such as a barn or freeway overpass.
“Think of it,” this swallow must have thought, “it’s quiet, safe from predators, and with the housing market as it is, there should be plenty of real estate to choose from! The only downside would seem to be the commute.”
So, with the help of its mate, the swallow tried it out and found that the positives did not outweigh the negatives. Because of the long commute, gathering building material was more difficult. Plus those pesky humans kept knocking down its nest. Not to mention the extra time it took to go grocery shopping. “What was I thinking?” the swallow surely muttered to itself as it moved back to the country, where dinner for a hungry brood could be found right outside its door.
Sadly, like a bad Internet meme, the idea took root, and every year, more and more barn swallows are trying to build homes in the ‘burbs.