A recent controversy induced us to submit our observations and experiments on the survival value and mode of swimming by small passerine birds. Scherner (1969) observed a Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) spreading its wings and tail when floating in water and concluded that the behavior enabled the bird to stay afloat. However, Jackson (1970) questioned whether this behavior was not “... merely part of the swimming movement ...” and correctly pointed out that air trapped in the feathers was sufficient to keep a bird afloat without the spreading of the wings and tail. Our observations of floating Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) suggest that even the passive spreading of the wings and tail aids in survival.