Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Barn Swallow is a bird of open fields and ponds across the United States, with a long, deeply forked tail. It sticks cup-shaped mud nests to barns, bridges, and other structures. Most U.S. birds leave for warmer parts of the Americas after breeding.

Appearance

Appearance: About 6.7–7.5 in (17–19 cm) long including the long forked tail, weighing about 0.6–0.8 oz (16–22 g). Steel-blue above with a rusty forehead and throat. Males have longer than females; young birds look browner.
Voice: A steady, liquid twittering and chattering mixed with chirps, rattles, and whistles.

Look-alikes

Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota

Look for the pale forehead and creamy rump of the Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota). A Barn Swallow has a rusty forehead, dark rump, and a much longer forked tail.

Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor

A Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) has a clean white belly and a short, shallowly notched tail. A Barn Swallow has warmer underparts and long tail streamers.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: farms
fields
marshes
lakes and ponds
bridges
Range: Breeds across the continental United States and Alaska, and throughout North America south to Mexico. Worldwide it also breeds across Europe and Asia.
Seasonal presence: A summer resident and migrant in the U.S.; winters in Central and South America.
Preferred conditions: Prefers open or semi-open country near water and avoids dense forest and very dry areas.
Migration: Travels in flocks, mostly by day. Birds gather before heading south in fall.
When it’s recorded: Recorded year-round, every year · most records in May–Jul
40,753 observations in the US · 10 years · for referenceChoose a state

Behavior

Diet: Catches flying insects on the wing, including flies, beetles, and moths.

Life cycle

Nest: A cup of mud stuck to a wall or beam in open buildings, under eaves, bridges, or docks.
Clutch size: Usually 4–5 eggs (2–7)
Incubation: 13–17 days, by both parents
Fledging: 18–23 days after hatching

Name and classification

About the name: Several are recognized worldwide. North America's birds are the American Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster), with deep rusty underparts and a narrow breast band; Europe's (Hirundo rustica rustica) and East Asia's (Hirundo rustica gutturalis) are paler below.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
Threats: Still widespread in the United States, though populations have declined in some places.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: In the United States, concern over Barn Swallows killed for hat feathers helped inspire the founding of a bird protection society in 1886.

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