Without looking it up, my first guess would be scissor-tail swallow, Vicki.

Maybe a Barn Swallow? Definately a Swallow of some sort.

I didn't know there were scissor tail swallows. I know there is a scissor tail bird, I see them sitting on high wires every time I head to Oklahoma. You can't miss them because of their tail and they are gray in color, maybe some white on them???

Thank you! A swallow it is. I will pass it on to her. Thanks again!

typical Barn Swallow...nice catch

Barn swallow, which in our neck of the woods prefers to nest over front doors, in carports and anywhere else its "leavings" will cause the most inconvenience. Pretty bird, very cute, and somewhat messy!

It's a male barn swallow. They're delightful birds.

We had them nesting on the porch soffit when we lived on the base. They built nests balanced on planter hooks on the porch ceiling. I solved the mess problem by hanging baskets of geraniums from each hook.

The chicks droppings went into the planter, fed the plants, and the porch was kept clean. You can also place a 12" square of cardboard on the area under their nest. The mess tends to cover a very small area. After they're through nesting, throw the cardboard in the trash or compost bin.

This isn't the greatest photo, but it's the only one I could find quickly. The rod under the nest is a 12" hanging hook. The geraniums hang from the end of it.

There were five chicks in this nest. One was camera shy.

And these are the flowers that thrived directly under them.