Protected birds halt Eau Claire construction project

A large-scale construction project in Eau Claire is on hold because of a handful of federally-protected birds.

Local grocery store chain Mega Foods is building its third store on the south side of Eau Claire. Construction has been halted, however, because a group of Bank Swallows have made their home along a partially excavated retention pond. Kris Belling is a wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources: “So, there was a pile of exposed soil that the Bank Swallows found and thought it looked good and decided to build their nest there.”

Belling says the DNR was alerted to the nests this week and has passed the info to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She says their presence is a setback for contractors building the new grocery store because Bank Swallows are federally protected migratory songbirds, “And under that protection, basically, you’re not allowed to disturb or destroy nests.”

Belling says company officials have agreed not to disturb the nests. Mega Foods didn’t immediately return calls for comment on this story. Excavation can resume after the birds’ young have hatched and fledged. Belling says that’s likely to happen in mid-July.