Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
Male
- Slender swallow with long wings and long, forked tail
- Glossy blue/purple above
- Buffy orange below (males have deeper orange color)
- Rusty orange forehead and throat
- © Eddie Y, NY, Flushing Meadows, Corona, Queens, May 2011
Barn Swallow
Female
- Slender with long wings and tail
- Female buffy white below
- Glossy blue/purple above
- Rusty forehead and throat
- © Brian Sullivan
Barn Swallow
Juvenile
- Chubbier than adults with shorter tail
- Bill pale yellow on sides
- Dusky blue-gray above with some iridescence visible
- Buffy on face and underparts
- © Jo-Anna Ghadban, MA, Fort Hill, Eastham, August 2009
Barn Swallow
Male and female on nest
- Slender shape with long, forked tail and long wings
- Male with rich orange underparts
- Female with paler, buffy-white underparts
- Mud cup nest built under eaves or inside open buildings
- © Laura Erickson, NY, Montezuma NWR, Seneca Falls, May 2009
Barn Swallow
Male
- Long wings, short neck
- Short legs
- Glossy blue above
- Orange below with darker, rusty face
- © Roy Brown, FL, St. George Island, April 2011
Barn Swallow
Male
- Long, forked tail
- In spring, gathers mud on ground for nest
- Orange below with darker, rusty face
- © Robinsegg, UT, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, May 2005
Barn Swallow
Male
- Long wings and long, forked tail
- Short legs
- Orange below with rusty face
- Glossy blue/purple above
- © Raymond Lee, Parkland County, Alberta, Canada, June 2010
Barn Swallow
Male in flight
- Long, pointed wings
- Long "streamers" on outer edges of fanned tail
- Bold white spots on central tail feathers
- Buffy orange below
- © JMK Birder, CT, Tolland, July 2010
Similar Species
Adult
- Similar to Barn Swallow but lacks long, forked tail
- Chubbier than Barn Swallow
- Some juvenile Barn Swallows have squared tail, but Cliff Swallow shows pale rump and collar
- Buff or white patch on forehead
- © Stephen Ramirez, Plum Creek Bridge, Calverton County, TX, May 2010
Adult with Barn Swallow in background
- Chubbier than Barn Swallow with squared tail
- Pale, buffy collar and rump
- Buff or white forehead patch
- © Cameron Rognan, Arcata Bottoms, Arcata, CA, May 2007
Adult male
- Similar to juvenile Barn Swallow
- Throat and underparts bright snowy white
- Upperparts glossy blue-green (duller in females and immatures)
- Forked tail much shorter than adult Barn Swallow
- © Andy Johnson, Green Lake, Interlochen, MI, May 2009