Barn Swallow
A species of Typical swallows, Also known as Common Swallow Scientific name : Hirundo rustica Genus : Typical swallows
Barn Swallow, A species of Typical swallows
Also known as:
Common Swallow
Botanical name: Hirundo rustica
Genus: Typical swallows
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Description
A familiar sight in rural and semi-open areas, the small barn Swallow can often be spotted by its distinctly graceful flight as it travels low over fields. Seemingly unbothered by having human neighbors, they nest unafraid in barns, garages, beneath bridges or wharves. Interestingly enough, they have come to prefer these locations so much that you are unlikely to spot a nest in a place that is not a human-made structure.
Size
15 - 20 cm
Life Expectancy
4-8 years
Nest Placement
Building
Clutch Size
3 - 7 eggs
Incubation Period
1 - 2 broods
Number of Broods
12 - 17 days
Nestling Period
15 - 27 days
Feeding Habits
Barn Swallow predominantly feed on flying insects like flies (70% of diet), beetles, bees, wasps, ants, and moths. They prefer large prey over swarms, occasionally consuming grit or oyster shells for digestion and calcium. Aphids are significant but less so than in other swallows. During winter, flying ants are important, particularly on wintering grounds.
Habitat
Barn Swallow commonly resides in open environments like farmlands, pastures, and meadows with low vegetation, often close to bodies of water. They avoid densely forested or urban areas. Critical to their habitat are open structures for nest-building, such as barns or bridges, and perches like wires or rooflines. They thrive at various altitudes, up to 10,000 feet, requiring open spaces like parks or agricultural fields for foraging, and access to mud for constructing their nests.
Nest Behavior
Both barn Swallow sexes build the nest, with nesting behavior including site hovering and selection. Nest construction is followed by grass and feather lining, and eggs are laid within this structure. Parents share egg and chick care, displaying meticulous nest maintenance.
Nest Characteristics
The barn Swallow's nest is typically located on eaves, rafters, or under bridges. Made of mud pellets mixed with grass stems, it exhibits a semi-circular shape against vertical surfaces or a complete cup atop beams. Measuring approximately 3 inches wide and 2 inches deep, the structure is lined with grass and feathers.
Dite type
Insectivorous
People often ask
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird Feeder Type
Platform
Sounds
Call
Recording location: Ethiopia
Call
Recording location: Belgium
Song
Recording location: Belgium
Call
Recording location: Belgium
Call
Recording location: Belgium
Song
Recording location: Belgium
Behavior
Barn Swallow's are highly aerial birds known for their graceful and agile flight. During their typical day, these birds engage in feeding almost continuously in flight, preferring to forage low over fields, marshes, and bodies of water to catch insects. Their interaction with the environment includes using man-made structures like barns for nesting, which they will fiercely defend. Notable among their unique behaviors is their method of drinking and bathing by skimming water surfaces, as well as their social behavior of mobbing predators in coordinated groups to protect their nests and young. Barn Swallow's daily activities are a marvel of adaptation, exhibiting both the complexity of their individual behaviors and their interdependence with their habitats.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Swallows Genus
Typical swallows Species
Barn Swallow 
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