Oil change garage becomes seasonal nesting ground for dozens of swallows

SAID SADIQ — In this town in Sulaymaniyah governorate, a modest oil change garage has become an unlikely sanctuary for dozens of migratory swallows, turning the workspace into a seasonal nesting ground. Shop owner Ibrahim Salar says the birds are welcome — even if their presence has complicated daily operations.

“This year, they came in large numbers,” Salar told 964media. “We’ve counted about 70 nests inside the garage.”

The birds have burrowed into the walls and rafters, filling the shop with their chirping and building nests throughout the workspace — above oil drums, on ceiling beams, and even near Salar’s tools and equipment. Each nest holds four to five eggs.

Salar said he had planned to renovate and repaint the shop this spring but decided to delay the work until the chicks mature and the birds move on. “The place is messy,” he said. “There’s bird droppings everywhere, and the walls are stained. But I’ll wait until the chicks are grown and they’ve flown off.”

In one instance, he discovered a swallow nesting inside a car engine. “That’s when I gave up trying to keep them out,” he said with a laugh.

Despite the inconvenience, Salar said he’s come to see the swallows as part of the space. “They come back every spring like clockwork,” he said. “They know this place now. And I guess I’ve gotten used to them too.”

Weighing between 20 and 60 grams, swallows are known to consume hundreds of insects a day, including flies and other pests common during Iraq’s warmer months. Their arrival each spring is widely seen as a sign of seasonal change — and in this case, a reminder that nature sometimes chooses its own places to call home.

For now, the garage operates as a rare shared space — a workplace for Salar and a springtime refuge for the birds.