Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

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Barn Swallow nest

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A familiar inhabitant of barns and other outbuildings, the Barn Swallow is easily recognized by its long forked tail. It was originally a cave breeder, but now the swallow nests almost exclusively on man-made structures.

Description

• Small slender songbird.
• Tail long and forked.
• Upperparts steely iridescent blue.
• Underparts rufous.

• Size: 15-19 cm (6-7 in)
• Wingspan: 29-32 cm (11-13 in)
• Weight: 17-20 g (0.6-0.71 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look similar, but males are deeper chestnut on underparts and have longer tail streamers.

Sound

Song: a twittery series of squeaky notes, often with dry rattle in the middle.

Conservation Status

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! project.

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.

Sources used to construct this page:

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.