Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.9–7.5 in
15–19 cm - Wingspan
- 11.4–12.6 in
29–32 cm - Weight
- 0.6–0.7 oz
17–20 g
Other Names
- Hirondelle des granges, Hirondelle rustique, Hirondelle de cheminée (French)
- Golondrina ranchera, Golondrina tijerela (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely distributed swallow species in the world. It breeds throughout the northern hemisphere and winters in much of the southern hemisphere.
- The long tail of a Barn Swallow may indicate the quality of the individual bird. Females prefer to mate with males that have the longest and most symmetrical tails.
- An unmated male Barn Swallow may kill the nestlings of a nesting pair. His actions often succeed in breaking up the pair and afford him the opportunity to mate with the female.
- Female Barn Swallows favor males that have a darker reddish chest color.
Habitat
Town
- Found in many habitats with open areas for foraging and structures for nesting, including agricultural areas, cities, and along highways. Needs mud for nest building.
Food
Insects
Flying insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Egg Description
- Creamy white with small dark spots.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless, with tufts of down.
Nest Description
An open cup of mud and grass. Lined with fine grass stems, hair, and feathers. Nest is fastened to a vertical wall under an overhang or placed on a ledge.
Nest Placement
Building
© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Behavior
Aerial Forager
Catches insects in flight, often low to the ground.
Conservation
Least Concern
The Barn Swallow has benefited greatly from human activity. Artificial structures have allowed it to move into new areas and nest in higher densities than ever before. As a result, populations are much greater than they were before European settlement of North America. You can help scientists learn more about this species by participating in the Celebrate Urban Birds!
Credits
- Brown, C. R., and M. B. Brown. 1999. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). In The Birds of North America, No. 452 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.