Several bird species are known to nest in cave entrances, including Swallows (Hirundo rustica), Swifts (Apus apus), Jackdaws (Corvus monedula), and Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes). The cave nesting behaviour of the swallows and swifts pre-dates their more modern reliance on buildings for nest sites.
Nesting birds are more likely to be found in the larger but less disturbed entrances to caves. Due to the small size of many of the cave entrances on Mendips and the fact that many of them contain sinking streams or are capped with concrete blockhouses, they are less likely to be encountered here than elsewhere in the country (e.g. Wales), although they might be seen in some of the higher parts of the Wookey Hole entrance archway or on the adjacent cliffs, away from the stream of visitors
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