Four newly hatched barnswallows perch on our roof; we had the privilege of watching as their mother trained them to hunt in mid-air. First, she would bring the bugs right to them on the roof. Gradually, she would decrease her proximity to them as she brought them their prize, so that the younglings would have to take flight and take the bug from her in mid-air. This training progressed systematically and rapidly, as each time the mother would make them fly further and work harder to catch their food. I marvelled at how quickly they learned to maneuver in mid-air, until they were ready to begin hunting on their own, without the aid of their mother.
